Sand and Shadow
by Callistrotta
Summary: (Kalach-cha/Knight Captain x Sand) It's a tale as old as time. Girl plays game. Girl falls in love with game. Game sucks girl into the computer through interdimensional portal. You know the story. Can our freaked-out fangirl survive in the world she had once toyed with?
1. Cheat Codes

**Sand and Shadow**

I decided to write this simply because I find the lack of female romance options in Neverwinter Nights 2 to be a travesty. Don't get me wrong, I adore Casavir, and Bishop is fun to flirt with, but Bishop isn't even technically a romance option, so we're left with our beautifully angsty Paladin of Tyr. However, I think there is a lot of potential for the other characters to interact with the Knight Captain. This is what I would imagine would happen if one of us were suddenly thrown into the game we're so fond of.

Disclaimer: I don't own NWN2, although it'd be freakin' awesome if I did.

(P.S. If any of you have read my other stories, fictionaL dimensions & The Curse of Mortality, I may not have updated in a while, but rest assured I have not forgotten them and they WILL be finished, I swear on Will Wheaton.)

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Cheat Codes**

Sophie Holland absolutely loved Saturdays. She was never scheduled for work on weekends, and very few people called on her to do anything - considering she was an antisocial hermit who would rather sit in the dark and marathon Lord of the Rings than go out and actually socialize - so she had the entire day to herself. First on her list of things to do was sleep in as long as her body would physically allow. She'd more often than not stay up late reading some fantasy novel, so in most cases she could easily last until noon. When her hunger and bladder eventually forced her out of bed, she'd relieve herself, eat whatever monstrosity was still in her fridge, and sit down in her favorite chair. Finally, she'd relax and either read, write, draw, watch Netflix, or – her favorite pastime of the lot – play video games.

Today was one such day. She sunk down into her second-hand swivel chair and gave a wide, satisfying yawn. She may have had the apartment to herself, but she only ever really spent time in her bedroom, so she liked to think of it as her own personal dungeon. She sighed, leaning back, "Why is the world so boring," she spoke to the empty air around her, "everything is so much more interesting in stories. I can't wait for full-dive virtual reality to finally be invented."

With another yawn, Sophie opened her laptop and perused her options. She had recently finished playing Pillars of Eternity for the second time in a row, so it was time to start another game. Sadly, she was not made of money, and her asshole landlord had a tendency to bleed her dry of every spare cent she had. Recently she'd had a dog over for no more than three days, watching it for a friend, and he somehow found out. He'd fined her nearly $500 just for that, so she had absolutely no spending money at the moment. That meant she'd be replaying one of the games she already owned. This of course was alright with her, she loved to revisit beautiful places like the ones in her games.

This time she'd decided to go with one of her old favorites: Neverwinter Nights 2. This was one she had played so many times that she knew practically every outcome the game could get to. Each scenario, each character, and what they would do whether or not they liked her. Of course, that didn't stop her from choosing to play as her favorite type of character, though. For the third time since buying the game – this being the thirteenth time she'd played it overall – she decided to be a chaotic good, female, moon-elf wizard. Of course, from about the fourth time she'd played she nearly always used cheat codes, so she essentially felt like a god playing with puppets.

The first thing she did logging in was to give herself five extra levels. She didn't want to go as high as it would allow yet, that would take all the fun out of the first chapter. Once she'd given her character this boon, she also added her favorite item: the "instrument of death" which was essentially an eternal item that gave her an infinite number of some of the higher-level spells like Weird and Wail of the Banshee. That way she knew she'd never run out of firepower in the middle of a fight. A few magical weapons here, a ring of wizardry there, and she was ready to go. She added her second favorite cheat: "Irolltwenties" which gave her an enchanted blade with a high chance of critical hits, and gave her character 20 in every statistic – essentially assuring she would succeed at everything she tried – and she was ready to go.

Before Sophie exited the webpage with all the cheat codes on it, she noticed something that she could have sworn wasn't there the last time she'd played, or any time before for that matter. She squinted at the tiny lettering and made out the characters, "dm_NWN2_firstperson0013" but the webpage didn't say what it did. She tilted her head, curious. _Maybe it changes the camera from bird's eye view to first person,_ she thought.

Sophie decided to try it. Saving her game just in case she didn't like the change, she entered debug mode and typed in the code. Exiting debug mode, she checked for any change on the screen. Nothing was different. She sighed and shrugged. _Must be another dud cheat. Tons of them don't work at all._

That's when Sophie realized that she hadn't pressed play yet. Rolling her eyes at her own stupidity, she reached over and casually pressed the spacebar.

The next words out of her mouth were simple, "What the hell…?"

In the blink of an eye, her surroundings had changed from her cozy, too-cluttered room to that of a small, muddy town that smelled of sweat, mold, and a hint of manure. People were bustling about cheerfully to where different stations had set up. There was a pen of pigs – one of which was remarkably bigger than the rest – a fenced-in area where two people appeared to be fist-fighting for a cheering crowd, and various other stations that the townsfolk seemed to be enjoying.

Sophie knew exactly where she was, but her brain was having a hard time processing it. So, while her mind attempted to catch up with her eyes, she merely stood there gawking, taking in the impossibility that was – what could only be – the village of West Harbor.

"Alea," someone shouted as they ran towards her. Sophie recognized him at once. It was Bevil. But who was Alea? She didn't remember any characters by that name. There was of course Amy, but she was coming toward Sophie right alongside Bevil. After a moment staring at their expectant gazes, she realized they were referring to her. Alea Stormrun was the name of the character she had just created.

 _Okay_ , Sophie – or rather Alea – thought to herself, _either I'm finally having a nervous breakdown and they'll soon be hauling me off to a mental facility, or I'm dreaming. In any case, I hope there is Wi-Fi._

"Um… Alea? You okay?" Amie looked at Alea in concern. She'd been staring at them like her and Bevil had worms crawling out of their ears for a solid minute.

Alea shook herself out of her stupor and looked at them again, finally speaking, "Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Good morning Amy, Bevil." She nodded to each of them in turn, then quickly turned around and bolted through the nearest door she could find, slamming it shut behind her. Unlike in the game, it did not pull up a loading screen. Instead, she walked right into a remarkably clean house, considering the amount of mud that had already clung to her boots merely from standing outside. She realized this must be Daeghun's – and by extension her – home. Daeghun had situated himself at a table and was eating some sort of bread when he heard her come in. He turned to look at her with a questioning glance.

Clearly, he picked up on her panic because he raised an eyebrow asking, "Is something the matter, foster-daughter?"

All Alea could do was stare at him in wonder. Daeghun was easily the most beautiful creature she had ever laid her eyes on. He had the obvious air of age, but his skin was as smooth as silk, with his hair looked just as soft. She stood with her mouth open, not realizing she had left him without an answer. She may have had an active imagination, but her dreams had never been this vivid before.

"Close your mouth, Alea, immediately. Tell me what troubles you."

Alea snapped her mouth shut, unsure of how to respond. She was saved from having to when someone knocked gently on the door. "Um… I'll get that," she said, and quickly turned to reopen the door that he had only just barely slammed shut.

It was Bevil and Amie, looking at her worriedly. "I- uh... I need a minute. You two go on without me, I'll… catch up."

Amie looked astonished, "But I thought you were looking forward to the fair. This is our last year to compete, remember? You can't just back out now, you'll never get another chance."

"Yeah," Bevil confirmed, "are you felling alright?"

"No," Alea answered honestly, "Not really. Please, I'll be out in a few minutes, I promise." Without another word, she shut the door and turned to her used-to-be-virtual foster-father. She cleared her throat nervously, then asked, "Daegun, do we have a mirror?"

He merely looked at her in that cold, but somehow still fatherly way, and answered, "If I am not mistaken, you have a rather large mirror in your bedroom, do you not?"

Alea flushed, "Uh, right, yes, of course," she paused, then said, "I'll be right back," before bolting up a small flight of stairs into what she hoped was her room. It didn't take long to spot the large mirror hanging on the wall near the window. What she saw made her heart stop.

Standing before her was not the lanky, flat-chested human woman she was accustomed to seeing. Instead, staring back at her with an expression equal parts horror, confusion and wonder, was a stunningly beautiful elf woman whose face vaguely resembled her own. Her skin was ivory, with the slightest hint of blue, and her hair was a shimmering midnight purple, so dark it looked nearly black. Looking at her was a pair of large, striking silver eyes. She reached up to touch her cheek and found the skin there to be incredibly delicate, but smoother than her face had ever felt. She didn't have a single blemish. Her hands were dainty, and all the callouses she had earned were gone. Running her fingers through her now waist-length hair, she saw that her ears also had changed. Now they were long, and pointed, much like Daeghun's but thinner and more feminine. When she examined them, she found them to be incredibly sensitive, and shivers were sent down her spine at the slightest touch. She wore the Robe of Scintillating Colors, which was one of the items she had added using her cheat codes. It fit tightly to her frame and showed off the kind of body even models only wish they could have. She was lithe and petite, with curves in all the right places. Back in the real world – you know, the one she'd wake up to when this dream inevitably ended – she was fairly secure about her body and felt no shame over it. But she couldn't deny that if she'd looked even half this beautiful she would definitely not still be single.

Straightening up and admiring the body she now occupied, Alea decided to just go with it. _It's only a dream, after all,_ she thought, _why not have a little fun?_ Placing a smile on her face, she turned and walked gracefully out the door to meet her friends for the harvest fair.


	2. Going Through the Motions

Wow… People actually read this? I figured this story wouldn't get any traffic. Well, in that case, hi to the person from Australia and the person from the UK! What did you think?

* * *

Chapter 2: Going Through the Motions

Sophie heard someone shouting outside her door. She figured it must be the couple that lived across from her in the apartment complex. They fought a lot, and it was incredibly loud. She moaned and pressed her pillow against her ears, refusing to wake up. Refusing to open her eyes, she tried to drown out the shouting and go back to sleep. She had been having the loveliest dream about becoming an elf in one of her favorite games. _Why does the real world have to suck so much?_ She tried to relax back into her (weirdly scratchy for cotton) sheets, but she gave up all pretense of sleeping in when someone started pounding on her door so loud it almost seemed like they were trying to break down her door.

That's when she realized that if someone was knocking on her bedroom door, then someone was in her apartment.

Her eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright, only to be more even more confused. This wasn't her room. It looked more like a cabin. She had begun to worry that she had been drugged and kidnapped when she looked around and caught her reflection in the mirror. It was the same as the one in her dream.

She felt the blood drain from her face as complete panic began to set in. This had to be some kind of trick. Someone must have glued makeup to her face or something, there was no way this was happening. She yanked at her ears, but it hurt really badly so she gave up and started to look around the room for something she could use to fend off whoever was outside her door. There was a chest in the corner, and it seemed to be unlocked so she peeked in to find a myriad of weapons and gear. She picked up a katana of some kind and looked at it in terrified awe. The freaking thing was glowing! It was faint, but it was definitely there.

"Alea! Wake up, we're under attack!" A voice startled her again, followed by more violent knocking, and she looked to the door. Opening it she saw none other than Bevil Starling.

That was the moment she finally realized that she was definitely not dreaming.

* * *

The swamp stunk, and Alea hated every step that she trudged through the thick, sucking mud. It was a huge relief when she finally saw the inn where she could easily see Khelgar Ironfist squaring up to three men. They were trying to rob him. Khelgar responded with his typical gusto.

Alea decided not to bother waiting for their conversation to include her. Instead, she interrupted one of the men while he was foolishly attempting to threaten my future dwarf companion, "Guys, why don't you all just leave, before my friend Khelgar here beats you to a pulp. It'd be better for everyone. He's significantly more capable than even the three of you combined. And now that I'm here, well, you'd be lucky if you got away with your lives. I don't want to have to hurt you, so why don't you just cut your losses, and go back inside for a drink. There's no shame in walking away."

She was surprised at the eloquence of her own words. It must've been her maxed out diplomacy skill. She'd never have said anything like that as Sophie the nerdy human. Apparently being Alea the elf wizard had its perks.

All four of them stared at her with varying expressions. The three men looked incensed and furious, but Khelgar just looked curious. "You know me, lass?"

"Yes, but we haven't met. It's a long story, I'll tell you over drinks once these three have come to their senses." She said the last bit with a pointed look at the human leader.

"Enough of this," the angry human leader said, "We'll just knock them both out and take their gold." As the humans advanced, drawing their weapons, Alea gave Khelgar a knowing look, then let him start to beat them up. She was admittedly impressed. Watching him fight was way cooler in person than looking at a virtual rendition of him.

When Alea figured they'd had enough, she took the leader by the hair and held her enchanted katana to his neck. Everyone halted and stared at her, "Now, gentlemen I think you can clearly tell that you are outmatched. Please, go inside and know that you fought bravely. If you continue your futile attempts at hurting my friend here, not only will you have dishonored yourselves, but you'll have thrown away your lives for nothing more than a few coppers. Do you yield?"

"Damn elf…" The man grumbled, but begrudgingly nodded when he saw his two lackeys bloodied and bruised, "Fine. But you'd better watch your back from now on. I can't promise that I'll be this generous the next time we meet."

Alea snorted, "yeah, sure. I bet you're a fearsome warrior," she said with no small amount of sarcasm. "I'm going to release you now. If I ever see you attack me or one of my friends again, I will not hesitate to drive this blade straight through your heart." It shocked Alea to realize that she wasn't bluffing. She never imagined herself as the type capable of killing, but in this world where if she didn't defend herself she'd end up dead or worse, her way of thinking had quickly and drastically shifted. Still, she'd avoid as much bloodshed as possible.

Releasing the man, she watched the three of them tumble into the inn, tripping over themselves to get away from the brutal dwarf and the strange elf. Khelgar turned to Alea, "Well now, that was a good fight. Too bad they had to resort to weapons though."

For the first time since starting her miserable trek through the swamp, Alea smiled. "It's great to meet you, Khelgar of the Ironfist Clan!" She felt herself starting to fangirl a bit at meeting one of the game's characters in person. He was shorter than Alea, though admittedly not by too much, and was built like an ox.

He puffed out his chest, "heard of me, have you?"

Alea thought of how to respond to this. She knew he would become her faithful companion, but how exactly would she explain to him where she was from when she didn't even know how she got here in the first place. Eventually, she decided to just go out with it and tell him everything she knew – omitting the part where Khelgar was no more than a character in an old video game. This was a world of magic after all, perhaps that's all the explanation he would need.

It turned out that she was right. When Alea rambled off some arcane-sounding mumbo-jumbo about magic portals and the like, he simple grumbled his agreement and commented on the strangeness of it all. Then he proceeded to promise her, "Well then lass, since trouble seems to follow you around, I'd rather like to travel with you. We're headed in the same direction after all. You provide the fights, and I'll show you the ropes on how this here world works. Whad'ya think of that?"

Alea didn't need guidance on Neverwinter culture or anything. She likely knew a great deal more than he did, but she nodded her assent and gladly accepted his company. At least now she would have someone to talk to as she trudged through mosquito-infested swamplands.

* * *

Jumping through hoop after hoop finally led Alea and her slowly-accumulating band of misfits to the city of Neverwinter. They were ambushed plenty of times, to Khelgar's delight, but no one got too badly wounded. Alea was very careful not to let anyone get too close to death, using her trump-card cheat items when necessary. She wasn't sure if she – or any of her companions – would come back if they were killed. Needless to say it worried her for what lay ahead.

"There it is," Alea said, trying to mask her relief and growing excitement. She was about to enter the actual Sunken Flagon and meet Duncan. She figured he'd be adorable in a very uncle-y way. "That's my uncle's inn. There's plenty of ale, so you guys should be perfectly happy there," she quipped lightheartedly.

Khelgar laughed, "Aye, that'll do it!"

They walked in the doors and were greeted with the smell of hot food and fresh ale. Duncan greeted them cheerily, and Alea got her first good look at him. He was tall for an elf, with a squarer jaw than most of the elves she'd seen on their travels. His skin was unblemished, but there was clearly stubble growing on his cheek. His clothes were stained and worn out, and he smelled faintly of alcohol.

Alea liked him immediately. He had a way about him that made her feel like she could be comfortable around him. She walked right up to him and – to the surprise of everyone within eyesight – pulled him into a massive bear hug. "Uncle Duncan, it's so good to meet you! It's me, Alea Stormrun, Daeghun's foster-daughter."

" _Uncle_ Duncan? I suppose that sounds familiar… Oh yes, I remember," He finally relaxed and returned the hug. Alea found him to be a great hugger. "Last I saw you, you were no more than a tiny babe. Rest assured you and your companions will always have a place at the Sunken Flagon. What brings you all the way out to Neverwinter?"

"I'm here for your silver shard," she said plainly, letting him go and pulling out her own, "It's very important."

"Shard? Now what you be wantin' with a little thing like that?" Alea already noticed the change in dialogue. Since her responses were not following the game's predetermined script, Duncan wasn't saying the same things either. She wondered what else she might be able to change about her path and interactions. Especially considering she already knew who the githyanki were, what the shards were for, and who the King of Shadows was, there was not much point in going to Blacklake to visit Aldanon. There was nothing he could tell her that she didn't already know.

"You know the shard I have buried in my chest?"

Duncan looked taken aback at this. "I thought that Daegun wasn't going to tell you about that."

"He didn't," she replied, "let's just say I found out on my own. Anyway, the fact that I have one buried in my chest, and with our two other shards together, me holding them makes their magic, sort of… reawaken. Anyway, I need to collect all of them."

"All of them?" Duncan looked at her in shock and confusion, "You mean there are more of these little shards lyin' about?"

"Lots more," Alea confirmed, "and basically the fate of the world depends on me finding them."

"What's this about the fate of the world? Sounds rather important," a smooth voice dripping with an innate sarcasm interrupted their conversation. Alea knew who it was even before Duncan's face turned sour with distaste.

"What're ya doin' here, Sand?"

Alea turned to face her fellow moon elf and future lawyer. She was not prepared for what she saw.

Walking toward them was – if possible – the most handsome elf Alea had met so far. She thought Duncan was gorgeous, but Sand was on a whole other level. Maybe it was because Duncan was just a generic elf, but Sand was specifically a moon elf. Maybe it was because Alea was a moon elf herself, so she would naturally gravitate to those of her own race. Or maybe it was simply because Sand had a more prominent role in the plotline. Whatever the reason, the animators who drew him up did not do him justice. Looking at him, she realized with horror that she was blushing. Her sensitive ears were burning, and she simply hoped that it would go unnoticed. Covering it up as best she could, she ignored the sudden odd tingling in her lower region and greeted him with what she hoped was a casual smile.

Sand answered Duncan's question, "Well, I saw a rather odd-looking group walk in here and I was curious." He looked at Alea, making her ears burn even hotter. _What is happening?_ She thought to herself. "And who is this," he asked.

"This here's kin," Duncan replied turning to her.

"Alea Stormrun. Pleased to meet you." She was glad to discover that despite the odd and unexpected reaction she was having to Sand's presence, her voice remained level.

His eyes looked over her, head to toe, and she could swear she almost saw a hint of appreciation in his gaze, "Not really seeing the family resemblance."

"That's probably because we're not related by blood. I'm his half-brother's foster-daughter," Alea explained. She didn't know why she bothered mentioning this, but something made her want his focus to remain on her. _What is wrong with you_ , she chided herself, _just cool it, he's a fictional character_. Still, she couldn't help but stare at him, taking in every detail while her nether regions screamed for attention. Simply put: he was hot.

"Out of curiosity, what business does a dwarf, a tiefling, a druidess, and a wizard have in Neverwinter?"

"It's none of your concern, Sand! Now unless you have a delivery for me, you'd best be leaving," Duncan said, irritation clear in his tone.

"Actually, Uncle, I'd like to have a word with him about these shards. You are a wizard, are you not?" Alea asked, despite knowing the answer.

"Why, dear girl, whatever gave it away," he quipped, "was it perhaps the wizard's robes?"

"Actually, it's the fact that I know a lot more about you than I let on. Perhaps it's best we speak privately," Alea said, "I'll meet you in your shop in a few minutes if that's alright with you."

He rose an eyebrow at this, his curiosity clearly piqued. "Very well," he replied, "I'll prepare some tea. But if you plan on purchasing anything, I would recommend that you bring a great deal of gold." His eyes gave her a once-over one last time before he turned and left.

Duncan looked at her with concern, "You don't want to be consortin' with that one, Alea. Sand is a snake who'll bleed you dry for every copper you've got."

Alea smiled, "I'll take that into advisement. But, I need another person who practices and studies the arcane to help me figure something out."

"Oh? And what would that be."

"It's a bit of a long story. I'll tell you later, when we both have more time. For now, I have to go talk with him to see if he can help."

His face scrunched up in distaste, "You won't be gettin' much outta him. He's an incompetent liar."

Alea hid a smirk. She knew that Sand was actually an incredibly powerful mage, and as hard as he tries to hide behind his sharp wit, Sand was a good person. But, she didn't bother correcting Duncan. There would be no changing his mind about this. "I'll be back later, don't bother waiting up, I'll likely be out quite late. Good night, uncle." And with that she strode out of the Sunken Flagon.


	3. Impossible But Not

Sometimes I wonder why I'm always so tired… Then I remember that I stay up every night writing fanfiction. Who needs a purse? I can just use the bags under my eyes.

* * *

Chapter 3: Impossible… But Not

Alea walked up to Sand's door and hesitated. She wondered how on earth she was going to explain her plight, but if anyone could help her find a way back to her own world, it was Sand. She didn't particularly like her home, but at least her chances of survival there were significantly higher than stuck in this deadly game, even with the boon she'd given herself at the beginning. Those cheats would only be infallible for a short time. Once she got to the higher-level enemies, they may not be enough to keep her alive.

Before she had the chance to knock, the door opened, and she was greeted with the appraising face of Sand. He looked at her wryly, "Dear girl, are you planning on coming in, or would you prefer instead to stand there all night staring at my door?"

This time, she was prepared for the sight of him, so she didn't react nearly as intensely. Instead, she gave him a smirk, "Oh, I was just admiring the scratch there, it looks almost as if someone tried to stab you through the door. Making friends, Sand?"

He didn't miss a beat, "Yes, well, when one lives in the Docks District, one tends to have difficulty avoiding trouble. Do come inside, before the smell leaks in."

She walked past him and noticed that he was eye-level with her. It was nice to not have to look way up or way down to speak with someone. Her neck might be given a rest. "Where's Jaral," Alea asked, wondering about the wizard's cat-familiar.

Sand eyed her suspiciously. He didn't answer her question. Instead, a small, spotted cat padded out from behind a counter to circle his feet. "How is it you came to know my familiar? I don't believe we have met."

She smiled impishly at this, "Oh, you've never met _me_. But, I've met _you_ several times over. In fact, I know much about you. You were born in Neverwinter, but you wanted access to a greater arcane education, so you went to Luskan and signed on with the Host Tower mages."

Sand tensed at this, now glaring at her warily with indignation and a slight hint of fear.

Alea held up a hand to placate him, "But, when they asked you to cross a line that your morals simply would not allow, you decided their artifacts were not worth it, and you left, being marked for death in the process. Am I correct so far?"

He reluctantly nodded, and Alea couldn't help but notice that he glanced briefly at a staff, probably wondering if he could get to it before she attacked him.

She simply tilted her head and continued, "Then, you fled to Neverwinter and traded information for safety. You used to live in Blacklake, until you came here when prying eyes got a little too close. Now you own this shop, and keep your eyes and ears open, reporting anything regarding illegal activity within Neverwinter walls – such as Moire and her gang's movements – to Nevalle of the Nine in secret." Finally, she stopped, after proving to Sand that she essentially knew his entire backstory. She watched him, wondering how he would react to some stranger suddenly walking in and telling him that they knew all his deepest darkest secrets. She expected a smart remark. Some sarcastic quip, doused in his dry wit. What she got, however, was nothing but stunned silence.

She raised her eyebrows, expectantly, "Nothing? Not even a wry comment? I gotta say, I'm a bit disappointed."

When she saw his fingers discreetly moving in a spell formation, with blue energy pulsing between him, she threw up her hands in a calming gesture, "Wait, don't shoot! I'm not here to hurt you or turn you in to Luskan or anything. I assure you, I mean you no harm. Actually, I came here for your help."

The blue energy dissipated and he finally found that famously sharp tongue of his, "What help could a simple _Luskan runaway_ – as you make it sound – like myself possibly give to someone so remarkably well informed as you? I may have incredible talent, but considering you were able to somehow unearth those deeply buried secrets, you must have some sort of trick up your sleeve. It's clear where the brains in the family went, poor Duncan must have lost it all to you. So tell me, my dear, what sort of help do you require?"

"Well…" Alea took a deep breath and sighed nervously, "This is where it gets a little complicated." She plopped herself down gracelessly onto one of Sand's more comfortable-looking chairs without actually asking. "You see, I'm not exactly from around here."

"Yes, I can tell as much. A harborman if I am not mistaken, judging from the smell." Sand sat down across from her, with significantly more decorum than she had shown. He picked up a teapot that he had prepared and set it on top of some sort of contraption. Then, after putting in a few herbs that Alea didn't recognize, he muttered something, moving his fingers in a distinct pattern. A small flame shot up below the device to begin heating the kettle.

"I am, and I'm not," she started cryptically, looking at the tiny fire with mild interest, "It's all a bit hard to explain. Umm… How can I put this? Okay, so you know the githyanki?"

He looked at her with a difficult to read impression on his face, "I can't say I've met them personally, no. However, I have read about them in tomes and am somewhat familiar with them."

"Okay, good. Anyway, they live on another plane of existence, right? Sort of like another dimension."

He nodded, "Yes, they travel here through portals from time to time. It's all very complex and often confusing magic. I, of course, have no issue understanding it, but that's merely due to my superior intellect and immeasurable talent. Others are not so lucky." Sand said all this with a straight face, making Alea smile in spite of herself. He was never a humble elf, but he was still right.

"That's good then," she grinned, "because I need your help making an interdimensional portal to a world you've never heard of and that you likely would have difficulty imagining."

"I would leave the sarcastic remarks to me, dear girl, you clearly do not have the knack for it. Points for effort, however." The kettle began to whistle so he blew out the flame and poured our tea into metal mugs. These, unlike most Alea had seen since ending up here, looked well-made and didn't have a single dent or scratch.

She reached out to take her mug from him, "Oh, I wasn't being sarcastic. Nor was I joking. I'm being completely serious." She took a ginger sip and found it to be remarkably soothing. Sand had a gift for potion-making, and she supposed it must branch out to tea. "Mmm, this is really good. Thanks, Sand," she smiled, taking another sip, "I needed this. Being transported to an alternate dimension against one's will has a tendency to stress one out."

His eyebrows shot up in obvious surprise, "Well… You're quite welcome." Then he continued, "an alternate dimension, you say," he asked with a sudden shift in demeanor. Somehow that comment had caught his interest. He muttered something under his breath that I didn't quite catch.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you thought I was crazy, or pulling some sort of trick, but I'd be sad if you did." Alea snapped her mouth shut. She had not intended to say that.

"And why is that, dear girl?" Sand asked, probing her.

Her tongue answered of its own volition, "Because you're one of my favorite characters. Top of the list is Casavir, because he's incredibly hot with the sexiest voice I've ever heard, then you because you saved me from being framed for mass-murder and your sarcasm cracks me up, then Khelgar because he's with the protagonist from the beginning of the game, and so on. My least favorites are Bishop and Qara though. They're just mean, and they've always annoyed me half to death." Good lord, what was she saying? She didn't want to tell Sand about the whole characters-in-a-game thing ever. Best-case scenario he believes her and has an existential crisis. Worst-case scenario he thinks she's crazy and she ends up in a nuthouse. Why was she speaking about it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world? Against her will, and to her absolute horror, her mouth continued to move, "Also because you're way more attractive than I thought you'd be, so I want you to believe me. That way, not only will you help me get back home, but I'll have an excuse to talk to you more often. I think you're one of the only people in this world who I can trust to help me. Plush I blush whenever I look directly at your face, and I don't entirely hate it." Alea dropped her mug and clamped her hand over her mouth to avoid saying anything else. She had already shared way more than she had planned, and she didn't want to do any more damage.

Sand simply stared at her with an unreadable expression. That is, until she called him attractive, then he simply smirked. He knew his little trick had worked. "You may want to stop speaking before you start divulging your darkest secrets. The serum won't ware off for another ten minutes."

She looked at him with panic on her face, "Serum? What serum?" She glanced at her mug of tea as if it might bite her. She soon noticed that Sand's mug remained untouched.

"This, dear girl, is a truth serum. And before you go getting all indignant, here," He picked up his mug and, looking her in the eye, took a large swig. "Now neither of us can lie to one another."

She frowned at him, narrowing her eyes, "the worst part about this is that I'm not even surprised."

"Oh good, then we can skip the part where you argue about how incensed you are that I would do such a thing. You must understand, I need to take every precaution with people who know my past with Luskan. One wrong move and I could end up dead, or worse."

She supposed it made sense. She'd probably have done the same thing if she'd thought of it. Still, she wasn't particularly happy about it. "There was a great deal of that that I never intended for you to hear."

Sand's smirk grew wider, "Which part? The bit where I'm supposedly a character in some sort of game – which oddly enough I actually believe – and that you were somehow brought here by an unknown force, or the one where you said I'm attractive and you want more excuses to speak with me? Honestly, I'm not sure which one I prefer more. The latter is certainly more amusing, but the former is a great deal more fascinating."

Alea was taken aback, "You believe me? I thought you'd reject the idea or at the very least have an identity crisis."

"While it is a ridiculous notion, yes, for some odd reason I believe you. You don't strike me as the mentally unstable type. Magic can be unpredictable, after all, and there are many things that even the greatest of mages, like myself, do not know."

Jaral leaped up onto Alea's lap, making her jump in surprise. When she realized she was not being attacked by demons or monsters, she relaxed and gently stroked the fluffy creature. "So… Does that mean you'll help me? My home isn't the greatest place, and I never particularly enjoyed it. I don't even miss it all that badly. But, I know a lot more about surviving there than I do here, and I have family that will worry about me if I go missing forever. I'd like to get back, if anything to put their minds at ease and to increase the likelihood of my survival. A lot of dangerous things are going to be happening on the Sword Coast soon and I preferred it when it was nothing more than a game. I don't want to be here when things get worse."

He eyed Alea for a moment, then glanced down to Javal. His familiar looked up at him as if in response. Sand nodded absentmindedly to himself, then stood up and began moving about his shop, obviously looking for something. He muttered under his breath as he searched. Eventually, he must've found what he wanted because he grabbed a small bag from inside a drawer and held it to his nose momentarily. Finding it satisfactory, he closed it back up and stuffed it into a pocket in his robes. He turned back to Alea, "I make no promises, but I will see what I can do. In exchange, however, you must promise me this," he paused, "you will never speak of my past with Luskan to anyone but me, and especially not outside these walls. I have wards protecting my more private conversations from being overheard, but if you were to mention my involvement with the Host Tower anywhere else, even in a whisper, there is a chance you could be overheard.

"Fine," Alea agreed, "but the same goes for the whole this-world-isn't-real thing. My companions know I'm from another plane of existence, but they don't know any details. I'd like to keep it that way."

"You have my word. But, dear girl," he gave her a pointed look, "what makes you think that just because we exist in what is only a game where you are from, that this world is not real?"

She wasn't sure how to respond to that, so she just tilted her head, considering the idea. Jaral purred, and it was then that she realized he had fallen asleep on her lap. She wasn't sure what to do about this, so she just looked at him, trying to decide how to escape the situation.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Sand said the oddest thing, "Luskan is full of truthful, kind-hearted individuals who would never consider hurting another person." He nodded to himself, "I do believe the truth serum has worn off."

Alea tried to think of some sort of lie to test this. Eventually she came up with, "I hate chocolate and cherries are the best." Alea hated cherries and was unhealthily obsessed with chocolate, so she was satisfied. "Yep, seems like it." She relaxed, and it must have shown on her face

"Whatever cherries did to deserve your ire, I cannot imagine, but I shall have to take your word for it. Now if you would be so kind as to return my familiar to me, I would be much obliged."

Alea looked for a way to get Jaral off her lap without waking him up but was at a loss. Eventually, Sand took pity on her and walked over to pick the sleeping creature up. Lifting Jaral, the cat growled its discontent at being awoken. "Oh, do be quiet, will you," Sand scolded, placing him on the ground. Jaral padded over to a corner and curled up, quickly falling back asleep. He looked back at Alea and pulled the bag of powder from his pocket. "Here," He poured some into a smaller container and handed it to her, "Put a pinch of this under your tongue before you go to sleep and allow it to dissolve. I will do the same. After three nights of this you should begin to feel the effects."

She looked at it, "What does it do?"

"It's essentially a tracker. It will allow me to find you easily should you go wandering off somewhere."

"Would I be able to tell where you are too?"

"Only if you know how it works."

She figured it wouldn't take long to figure out, considering her level 20 lore skill. "Why do we need a tracker?"

"Consider it insurance. You say a lot of dangerous things are coming this way? It would be nice to know that if I suddenly disappear, someone will be able to find me."

She nodded, "I guess that makes sense. Well, I suppose I should be leaving." Alea stood and adjusted her cloak. "We can talk more about this in the morning, if that's alright with you."

"Right, because I can suddenly just drop all my obligations to help you with your little problem." Sand sighed theatrically, "very well, I suppose I can find time earlier in the day. I'll be by at that lousy excuse for an inn sometime around breakfast to find you. Trust me when I say you would much rather avoid eating Duncan's cooking if possible. If you do, you'll likely live a great deal longer. I shall make breakfast, and you can explain in finer detail about this world of yours."

Alea was surprised. She never expected him to offer her breakfast, but she would eagerly accept it. All she'd had the past few weeks were trail rations and whatever wild game she could catch. It'd be nice to have something decent for once. She hoped he wasn't a terrible cook. Smiling, she nodded her head, "good night, then," and with that, she turned and walked out the door.

Sand stared back at her for a few moments, then turned to examine his shelf for books on portal travel. He had a feeling that the next few months would be very interesting.


	4. Not in the Plotline

You know those days when you're stuck at work until 3am by yourself even though you're a new hire and have no idea what you're doing? Yeah, that was me last night. Sooooooo fun. Now my brain is so muddled I can't even concentrate on gaming. Let me know how this next chapter turned out with my sleep-deprived mind.

* * *

Chapter 4: Not in the Plotline

Sand awoke early in the day, as per usual. Stifling a yawn, he rose from his bed and dressed for the day. He chose to wear standard wizard robes as usual but decided to add a ring of lore as well. It could prove useful in his new search to help that odd girl find a way back to her home. He normally would have denied such a request outright, or at least charged a hefty fee for it, but there was something about Alea that piqued his interest. He had a feeling that she would bring many ancient mysteries to light and he wanted to be there to learn them. The quest was not without its dangers, but neither was anything else worth having, so he decided to run with it and see how things would play out.

Walking down the stairs to his shop's main room, he started prepping breakfast. He considered adding another truth serum to the meal, but he didn't want to waste it on someone like Alea, she clearly had no intention of lying to him, and the ingredients could be difficult to procure.

Jaral mozied about lazily as Sand worked on a light breakfast. It didn't take long to complete, so he placed a simple enchantment on it to keep it warm and headed across the street to the Sunken Flagon.

Sand was greeted with the sight of a dwarf – the one traveling with Alea, if Sand was not mistaken – landing a solid punch on some brutish human man's face. The rest of the inn, even though it was still early, had heard the commotion and were now standing about shouting encouragements to the brawling men. It seemed a bit early for a tavern brawl. Among the hoard, however, Sand could not find Alea. Sighing, he concluded that she was likely still asleep. How she could rest with such noise he would never know.

Skirting around the increasingly vigorous fight, he made his way to the front counter and spotted Sal wiping the counters. "I don't know why you bother attempting to clean those. It's obvious the years of drool and mildew will never go away. You might as well cut your losses and try to do something productive with your day," Sand quipped.

Sal looked at him, ignoring the smarmy comment, "What can I do for ya, Sand? You lookin' for Duncan?"

"Actually, no," Sand replied, "I don't suppose you know where Alea might be? You know, the one who got all the brains in the family. I need to have a word with her."

Sal rose an eyebrow, but nodded his head toward the stairs, "Room 203. Poor thing was up all night, trying to keep a leash on those friends of hers. They sure do argue a lot, especially the dwarf and the tiefling. She had to restrain them with magic just to keep them from killing each other. I figure she's exhausted."

Sand sighed and rolled his eyes at this, "Very well, I will fetch her myself." With that, he turned away and strode up the stairs with all the natural grace of an elf. As he approached the door he smelled something different coming from her room. Despite his incredibly keen nose – on which he prided himself – he could not quite place it. Reaching up, he prepared to knock, but before he could the door swung open and out ran a very frantic she-elf. Alea was hurriedly strapping on a belt carrying a heavily enchanted katana. She clearly didn't notice him, because in her haste she neglected to look up and wound up barreling right into Sand. Her forehead hit his nose hard and he stumbled back, irritated.

She nearly fell over, stunned. Looking up, she met his glare and grimaced, "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you."

"Indeed. Oddly enough I had considered that, based on the throbbing in my nose. Funny how one can draw conclusions based on such little things."

Her grimace deepened, "I'm really sorry," she repeated, "here, let me see," she tried to examine Sand's injury, but he shook his head.

"That's quite alright, dear girl, I can handle a simple bruise."

She ran her fingers through her dark hair, "I know, I'm sorry," she said for the third time, "it's just ever since becoming an elf I know how fragile we can be and how much more sensitive we are than humans, and every injury I get feels so much worse and-"

Sand stopped and looked at her, unsure if he'd heard her right. "Excuse me, but did you just say, 'since you became an elf?' As in, you used to _not_ be one?" Sand didn't know of a single ritual, spell, incantation, or potion that could change one's race.

She looked panicked, "Shhhh! Not so loud," her eyes darted around the empty hallway to make sure no one was near enough to overhear. "That's one of the things I was going to talk to you about in private. Sweet Mystra, Sand, I thought you'd be more discreet than that."

His irritation surged once again as this odd girl chastised him. He did not appreciate being insulted, even unintentionally. Still, she had a point. If he wanted to make sure she kept his secret, then he had to keep hers. He had to be careful of what he said if only for his own personal safety. If the secret of his past with Luskan got out, he'd have a massive target on his back, and his chances of survival would plummet.

He suddenly remembered the odd smell coming from her room and noticed that she didn't have a trace of it on her. Pushing past her, he sniffed the air, trying to place what it was. Eventually he determined it was coming from the window. Walking over to it, he examined the frame, but didn't see anything remarkable. Muttering an incantation, he cast a reveal spell, so see if anything was cloaked in magic.

"What are you doing," Alea asked. She didn't sound angry that he was randomly searching her room. Instead she seemed curious, and a little worried. "Is there something wrong?"

Finally, the reveal spell took effect and Sand spotted something like paint smudged around the window frame. Sand recognized it at once. Immediately he sped out the door, grabbing Alea's wrist. Pulling her to what felt to her like an uncomfortable closeness. His face was inches from hers and she couldn't help thinking it was strangely intimate. Then he cast the same reveal spell on her forehead and found that an identical substance was on her as well. He held her wrist tightly and rushed out the door. She stumbled, surprised, but quickly recovered and followed him obediently as Sand sped out toward his shop. When he went inside he immediately started rushing about his lab, grabbing ingredients and components. Alea stood, watching him warily. Jaral, picking up on the tension lifted his head off the floor and hissed.

Sand began mixing, heating, and casting spells, clearly working on some kind of potion. Alea was dying to know what had gotten him so worked up, but she didn't want to bother him while he worked. She noticed he muttered to himself as he bustled about, completely engrossed in the craft of potion-making. She couldn't help thinking it was kind of cute in its own way.

 _Nope,_ she thought _, don't even go there. Besides, you'll be meeting Casavir sometime soon. As in, actual-knight-in-shining-armor Casavir._ Alea remembered how much of a crush she'd had on the paladin ever since her first time playing the game. His deep voice, and unquestionable morals simply made her melt. There were many nights when she had wished he was real, then perhaps she wouldn't have been quite so alone all the time. Now that she would meet him in person, not through a screen, she would not ruin it by liking someone else, no matter how incredibly attractive they were.

She was pulled abruptly from her thoughts when Sand splashed a vial of freezing cold goop in her face.

"Ahh! What in the name of Tolkien are you doing!?" She glowered at him angrily, wiping the sludge from her eyes.

"There is no time to explain, dear girl, you must come, quickly," he grabbed her wrist again and began dragging her towards the door. Considering her increased stats thanks to her cheat codes, he had nothing on her strength and she didn't move, giving him a look that demanded an explanation.

"Sand," she demanded, standing up, "Why am I covered in ice-cold sticky crap?"

He sighed, exasperated, "I will tell you when I'm finished, now unless you want someone creeping through your window from another dimension while you sleep, I suggest you come with me."

That just caused an expression of pure confusion. "That wasn't in the plotline," she stated simply, "how would someone do that?"

"I will explain once you are no longer in danger of being killed or spied on, now if you value your life, come with me!"

Without bothering to see if she'd follow he turned and exited the front door, hurriedly crossing the street to the Flagon. She begrudgingly shuffled along behind him, trying to wipe the gunk off her face. It wasn't working. It had started to seep into her skin, like some sort of thick, oily lotion. It was not pleasant. Briefly she wondered if elves got achene. By the gods, she hoped not.

When she got to her room, Sand was pouring the same type of liquid on her windowsill, muttering some sort of incantation. He turned to look at her, "Quickly, we have but a few moments before the potion wears off. Unless you'd like more of it on your face, come here and stand still."

While she didn't like being given orders without any kind of explanation, she disliked the idea of more goop on her face a lot more. So, grumbling to herself, she walked forward and stood as still as her anger would allow. Sand pressed one hand against her forehead and the other on the window frame. He closed his eyes and began speaking in what sounded like elvish. It was clearly some sort of spell, though Alea had no idea what it was. She didn't interrupt.

He slowly began pulling his hands from herself and the window. She felt an odd pulling sensation, like a headache being drawn from behind her eyes. When Sand's fingers met, his hands caged some odd little orb of light. It ebbed and flowed from color to color as it shook violently, trying to escape his grasp.

"Alea," Sand said, a serious tone in his voice, "grab the box on the bed and hold it open. When I put the Velsixunyrr inside, close the lid immediately and hold it shut until I say, do you understand?"

"The Velsi-what?"

"Just do it!" he shouted, urgency clearly evident.

She rushed and picked up an intricately carved blue box that was lying on her bed. Opening it, she couldn't see the bottom. She brought it to Sand and he shoved the Vel-something inside. She shut the lid immediately and held it down. The whatchamacallit was trying to get out. He closed the latch and placed a locking spell on it, ensuring that the strange little light-thing was securely imprisoned.

Sand visibly relaxed. He sighed deeply, closing his eyes, "I haven't seen one of these in nearly a hundred years."

"What is it?" Alea studied the box curiously.

"Velsixunyrr Kio." The words hung heavy on his tongue, even in the grace of the elven language. "It's a spy that doubles as a one-way portal. If whoever put this here had wanted in, they'd have had no trouble. Now, however, due to my incredible sense of smell and vast arcane knowledge, they'll only see the inside of this box."

Alea felt the blood drain from her face. Someone was spying on her? She didn't remember anything about this in the plot of the game, which meant it was something new. A wild card that was not related to the Neverwinter world. For all she knew, it was just as foreign to this place as she was. She looked at Sand, panic evident on her face, "But… How? This wasn't in the story. There were no quests, clues, or adversaries that involved anything like this. Sure, there's the song portal later on, and plenty of people watching my every move, but this is something completely unwritten."

He looked at her eyes, full of terror, and found himself feeling for her plight. Not an easy thing to get him to do, as he preferred to keep a strictly academic point of view and tended not to care much for others one way or another, as long as his life was not disturbed by them. And yet, here he was, looking at this woman – whose face appeared to have been tailor-made to look equal parts courageous, kind, and beautiful – finding that he wanted to help her. Not simply due to curiosity, profit, or boredom, but because he for whatever odd reason wanted to see her safe. It was an idea he was not entirely comfortable with.

He realized after a moment that he had been staring at her for a tad longer than what would have seemed natural. Her face remained drained of color, and her face pleaded with him for an explanation. So, he let his silver tongue take over. "While the cause of this is not yet known, we now have the pesky little thing encased in here. I will study it and see if I can trace it back to its origin. For the moment however," he looked at her, disheveled as she was in the morning, and drenched in his potion, "I believe I promised breakfast."

A bit of the panic melted from her features, and she sat down gracelessly on his favorite chair. He'd have told her to move, because that was his spot, but considering the morning she'd had, he decided not to push her. She curled her knees up to her chest. It was then that Sand noticed her shivering. It made sense, considering the side-effect of his potion was a bit of cold-damage. He grabbed a blanket that had been neatly folded on a chair and draped it over her shoulders, discretely casting a warmth spell on her. He wasn't sure why, but it bothered him seeing her so uncomfortable. It eased a bit when he saw her visibly relax into the folds of the blanket, her hair drying unnaturally fast.

Turning, he picked up the breakfast he had made earlier. Thanks to the spell he had cast on it, it was still warm and fresh. He gave her a plate and they sat in silence, enjoying the peaceful quiet for a moment.

By the time Sand had realized that Alea had fallen asleep, he had nearly finished his meal. He raised his eyebrow, noting that it was extremely early in the day for a nap. Still, he could hardly blame her. She had apparently stayed up late, then shortly afterwards had gotten quite a rude awakening. He elected to let her sleep. Should any customers come in, she likely wouldn't frighten them away. After all was it not natural for another moon elf to be in his company?

That train of thought brought him to all sorts of places. After all, he hadn't seen another moon elf in quite some time. Sure, Neverwinter was teeming with elves, such as Duncan, but most of them were wood elves, or some other mixed race. Sand happened to be of a very pure lineage. That didn't matter much to him, but based on Alea's blue-ivory skin, silver eyes and deep purple hair, she was also a full-blooded moon elf. He wondered if that had some sway over how intensely he had wanted to help her.

Who had she been before coming here? How had she gotten here? Where was she truly from? What would send her back? How long would she be stuck in this world? And, most curiously to him, why did she put so much faith in him? He had only known her for a few days at best, but she spoke to him as if she had known him intimately for years. The thought made his gaze wander back down to the petite beauty that was sleeping in his favorite chair.

Curiosity overcoming his better judgement, he knelt down to examine her face more closely. She truly was one of the loveliest creatures he had seen in his many years. Her odd demeanor contrasted deeply with the gentle, and almost regal features her face held while she slept. He lifted a hand to brush a lock of hair from her cheek. At his touch, her breath hitched, and he quickly retracted his hand, hoping he hadn't woken her up. Luckily, while elves were notoriously sensitive, they were also capable of incredible gentility. This, coupled with the simple fact that Alea was a deep sleeper, ensured that her morning nap continued uninterrupted.


	5. Playing Along

(You know what's the worst? When book sales are going on. They suck my wallet dry to the point of starvation. Sooo… Now I'm broke again. Being a nerd is such an expensive lifestyle.)

Anyway, things get going a little more in this chapter. Enjoy and don't forget to tell me what you think. Shout-out to iRanNoodle for your reviews, thanks so much for reading my little story!

* * *

Chapter 5: Playing Along

Alea woke up with a start, realizing after a moment that she wasn't in her hotel room. Hearing chatter behind her she turned to see Sand speaking with some random patron. They handed him a few gold coins and he gave them some sort of potion.

Color rose unbidden to her cheeks as she realized that she had just fallen asleep in Sand's shop. It only deepened when it occurred to her that he hadn't woken her up to kick her out like she figured the character in the game likely would have done. He'd let her sleep.

She sat up and something moved, jumping off her chest with a surprised hiss. It startled her to the point of falling off the chair and landing on the wood floor, hard.

The two men at the counter heard the ruckus and turned to look at her. She rubbed her now aching head, having bumped it a little too hard, "Owww…" she groaned, "What in the name of Wil Wheaton was that?" Standing up, she managed to focus enough to see that it was Jaral that had been laying on top of her before being suddenly vaulted into the air when she sat up.

"Ah, you're awake," a smooth and somewhat sarcastic voice greeted her, "I was wondering how long you planned to occupy my favorite seat. I had begun to worry you'd had a bad reaction to breakfast and were slipping into a coma."

She reacted wryly, slightly grumpy, "Perhaps I was. It seemed like there was something amiss in my meal, and I had begun to suspect you'd poisoned it." None of this was true, of course. Sand's cooking was actually incredible compared to anything else she'd had in this world, and she loved every bite of it. But, she figured if he was going to dish it out, he'd have to be able to take it as well.

Sand grinned, happy to have someone to match wits with properly. Most people just glared at him. "I can assure you there was nothing wrong with the food. It may simply have been that you were so overwhelmed by my generosity that you swooned and were unable to recover until now. I wouldn't judge you my dear, it's perfectly understandable, considering how glorious I am." He turned to the man who had bought the potion, who was eyeing Alea hungrily. He clearly liked what he saw, and Alea couldn't help but feel creeped out at his gaze. "Now, if everything is to your satisfaction, I have some business to conduct with the young lady here. If you require anything else, please feel free to keep it to yourself until later." It was a clear dismissal, and the man frowned, then turned and walked out the door without another word.

Alea stared at where he had been, "Was it just me, or was he looking at me like I was a piece of meat?"

Sand nodded, following her gaze, "Yes, he had a hard time keeping his eyes off of you from the moment he walked in the door. I believe he may come back purely to catch another glimpse at you." He looked at her, a hint of mischief in his eyes, "You may be good for business. Perhaps you should nap here more often, those good looks of yours could come in handy."

Alea didn't know how to reply to this. Instead she looked at Jaral, who was curled up on the chair she had just vacated. She decided to go with the safe response and change the subject, "How long was I asleep?"

"Well, that depends. How long based on the clock, or how long based on how it felt, because not being able to sit down in my good chair made it feel like months. However, if you insist on a unit of measurement, you were asleep for about half an hour."

She breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh good, so I've not been gone long. Khelgar and the others will have gotten worried if I stay out much longer without checking in. They seem to think I'm some fragile thing in need of protecting," she smiled a bit at this. She adored her companions, both in and out of the game. Travelling with them in reality only let her get to know them even more and she loved them all the better for it.

Sand raised his eyebrow, "Are you not? Or are you no longer a foreign entity in an unfamiliar world with the threat of imminent death hanging over your head at every moment? If that is the case, I suppose you no longer require my help in returning you home. I dare say that saves me a great deal of trouble."

"Oh, shut it," she laughed, suddenly feeling much better, "you want to know how I got here just as much as I do, don't even try to hide it."

He shrugged, "I suppose. Though I doubt we'll learn much standing about my shop, now will we?"

"Okay, so where do we start, then?" she folded her arms defiantly.

He considered for a moment, "I suppose the best place to begin would be to speak with Aldanon. He's quite knowledgeable, despite being difficult to understand. Though that may pose a problem as he lives-"

"-in Blacklake," Alea finished for him with a heavy sigh, "Yeah, I know. And Blacklake is closed. I thought I wouldn't even need to get to him so soon considering I already know what the shards are."

"I beg your pardon?" Sand looked genuinely confused, "Are we both to be included in this conversation or should I leave you to ramble with yourself?"

Taking a breath, she explained, "Okay, so it's like this…"

Alea explained about the quest to get into Blacklake, and everything she would supposedly learn from it. She practically had the entire thing memorized. Sand listened intently, needing to stop for very few questions. When she was done, he nodded, contemplating something, "I have a theory, though there is no way at present to prove or disprove it." He paused for a moment, lost in thought.

Alea got impatient, "Okay, so what's the theory?"

Sand blinked, almost as if he had forgotten she was there. "Well, you say this game of yours had a very specific story line, yes? My theory is that whatever brought you here wants you to continue following that plot. Perhaps something happens later on that it wants to make sure you do or cause. This is of course mere speculation. It could be a simple coincidence that you need to see Aldanon in spite of already knowing about the shards and this Jerro-haven-place. He is, after all, an incredibly knowledgeable sage and is often the person people go to when they have baffling questions that need answering."

Alea considered this for a moment. Either she was being guided by some unknown force trying to keep the game on track, or it was just a coincidence. She seriously doubted it was the latter. That made her uneasy. It meant she was not only being watched, but her path was still being controlled by something that may or may not mean her harm. Taking a deep breath, Alea straightened her back and turned toward the door, "In any case, it looks like my next stop is the city watch," and without another word she walked out, leaving Sand to mull over everything she'd told him.

* * *

Alea swore under her breath as another group from Moire's gang jumped them. She really did not have the patience to deal with this when she wasn't staring at a computer screen. Wishing for the thousandth time that she had a pause button, so she could assess the best way to take these guys down, Alea summoned a meteor shower to dispose of them quickly. She figured it wasn't immoral to kill someone who had tried to kill you first, especially if those people made a habit of terrorizing innocent people.

Khelgar was loving the frequent fights, but she could tell he was getting annoyed that she took everyone out so quickly. He preferred fights to last and she hadn't given him much of a chance to crack many skulls the past few days. She was just counting her blessings that the opponents she was fighting so far were relatively low-level. As the plot went on, she knew things would get more and more intense, even with all the cheats she had.

She was so blissfully bored that she actually yawned, even as the meteorites crashed to the ground, crushing the poor souls beneath them into a fiery pulp. She didn't notice Sand walk around the corner and stop in his tracks when she had first summoned the onslaught.

Sand's mouth hung open in uncharacteristic awe. He had difficulty believing that the dainty little woman who'd fallen asleep on his chair like an infant could wield such show-stopping magic. And yet, there she was, yawning as she controlled the very heavens to her whim. Sand almost felt bad for whatever poor souls got on her bad side. Almost.

The casual display of raw power stirred something inside of Sand. Looking at the fair face of Alea, with her odd quirks and even odder situation, he found himself captivated by her. She was more than just an incredibly beautiful face – although she certainly was that – she was also power and curiosity and kindness and wit all wrapped into one exquisite creature, the likes of which he knew on an instinctual level he would never meet again. He felt himself drawn to her like no one he had met in his hundreds of years. His heart stopped, and he came to a terrifying realization…

He was falling in love with Alea.

This was all horribly inconvenient for Sand, as attachments only ever lead to trouble, and his promise to help get her home not only ensured she would not be here forever, but it also meant that for the time being he would be spending a lot of time with her, whether he liked it or not. If his hundreds of years of life experience had taught him anything, it was that he had to avoid allowing his feelings to develop any further. He vowed to stifle them, then and there. He would not get caught up in such foolish endeavors. At least, that's what he told himself.

Alea, of course, was not aware of any of this as she finished off the last gang member who had somehow managed to survive. She stabbed him with her overly-enchanted katana and moved on, hoping to get to the last guard post before dark. Her cloak billowed behind her as she strode onward, her odd companions following close at her heels. Sand watched her as she moved around a corner and out of sight.

Alea found the final guard post and spoke to them, noting that this was definitely one of the groups that took bribes. She knew what was coming, even before they attacked her. Once she revealed that she was there to arrest them for accepting bribery, they lunged forward. She caught Kelghar's eye and he spoke, "Mind if I handle this lot, Lass? I've been hopin' to get a good punch in all day, but you keep sendin' those fireballs at them. It's hard to have a good fight when your opponents are dead by the time you can even blink."

She shrugged at stepped back to lean on a lamp post, folding her arms casually, "Be my guest."

"Right the," Khelgar grinned, gripping his axe, "Time for a little fun!"

He charged forward while Neeshka slipped around behind the group. Elanee transformed into a badger, and savagely bit at one of the corrupt watchman's legs. Khelgar swung his axe in a wide arc, catching one of the men in the chest. He was wounded, but his armor had taken most of the blow, so he was still able to counter, swiping at the dwarf with his sword. Khelgar blocked it with his axe and the two men grappled with one another, trying to push the other off balance. Eventually, Khelgar managed to get the man close enough to headbutt his opponent, knocking him to the ground. The dwarf swung his axe, embedding it into the man's skull, ending his days of accepting bribes in one fell swoop.

Neeshka, meanwhile, had crept up behind one of the guards. And, right after pinching his purse while his attention was elsewhere, she slammed her Morningstar right on top of the man's head in a lethal surprise attack. The guard had blood trickling down his temples now, but he somehow remained on his feet. He spun around, furious at his attacker. The tiefling was much faster, however, and managed to get out of the way before his blade could find her throat. She swung her weapon up and landed a blow right between the man's legs, crushing his manhood viciously. She was not above fighting dirty. The guard crumpled to the ground clutching his nethers in agony, and Khelgar swooped in, smashing the man's face in with his boot.

Elanee had a very different approach. She cast spells, weakening her prey, as she savagely tore at them with claws and teeth that pierced their flesh right down to the bone. Her victims' screams of pain were only contested with the volume of Khelgar's war cry as he passionately fought alongside her.

They were a brutal trio, tearing flesh and breaking bone while their leader leaned nonchalantly against a street lamp, watching with a small smile on her face. She loved these insane creatures that followed her so loyally. She'd let them have their fun, even if it did take longer to be rid of their enemies as she stood idly by.

Neeshka searched the bodies for anything valuable while Khelgar laughed haughtily, "Now _that_ was a fight. I'm almost sorry there weren't more of 'em."

"That's all these guys have?" Neeshka held up a small handful of coins, looking more than a little annoyed, "They could've at least haggled for a bigger bribe than this, they were hardly worth killing for the few coppers they've got on them."

"These men made an extremely dishonorable choice," Elanee chimed in, "in putting themselves over the people they were charged to protect, their fate was sealed, no matter the amount of coin they took to do so."

Alea just shook her head, amused, "Okay, you guys, that was the last post. Let's go report back to Captain Brelaina."

As they walked, Alea thought of the remaining tasks she had before she could get into the Blacklake district and smiled. The assignment at Old Owl Well was coming up. That meant a certain paladin would be showing up very soon. She briefly wondered what he would be like in person. Would she be able to feel his paladin's aura? Was his voice actually that deep? Did he have nice hair? She amused herself, remembering the many conversations she'd had with him virtually, and was giddy to have them in person. Casavir, as the only romanceable character in the game, was automatically her favorite. She was a hopeless romantic and had had a massive crush on the paladin ever since she played the game the first time.

Her mind wandered to Sand, and she wondered what his input on the matter would be. She didn't know why she cared, as he likely wouldn't have. If it wasn't for her odd situation that he obviously found fascinating, she doubted he would even bother to give her a second glance before the Ember trial. She shrugged the thought off and went back to fantasizing about Casavir. Imagining all the adventures and romantic encounters she would get to have with him. Not all of her thoughts were entirely chaste.

She was pulled from her daydreams when they arrived to speak with Captain Brelainia.


	6. Nightmares

I probably should clean my disastrously messy house, but I'm a procrastinator, so here's another chapter for you.

* * *

Chapter 6: Nightmares

Sand was equal parts relieved and disappointed when Alea had been sent away to Old Owl Well. She would be gone for at least a few days, possibly longer, which meant he could work in peace. She had made a habit of visiting every day asking about the Velsixunyrr Kio, hoping to see if he had discovered its origin yet. It was incredibly distracting. Whenever she came by he had a difficult time concentrating on anything else. It only made things worse that whenever he mentioned that her frequent visits were a disruption, and thus slowed his progress, she only replied with a witty comment that made him like her even more. Not to mention her smile was contagious. She was intoxicating and it irritated Sand to no end.

Regrettably, he hadn't made much progress on discovering who had sent the Velsixunyrr Kio. His knowledge of the arcane was vast, but there weren't many books on spying portals, or interdimensional travel. He was still at a complete loss as to how she had wound up here. The githyanki may have lived on another plane of existence, but Alea was from an entirely different dimension, completely separate from theirs. Bridging the two had to come from a being of incredible power, and it would be immensely difficult to send her back home.

A selfish part of him – and that was a decent sized part – was glad that it would be difficult to get her home. Perhaps they never would, and she would be stuck here matching wits with him for the rest of their extensive elvish lifespans. Another part of him – slightly larger than the last – chastised the other for encouraging foolish fantasies.

While Sand searched for any information he could find on other dimensions, Alea was on the road, trudging through mud toward Old Owl Well. It was raining. It sucked.

One part of the game that Alea sorely missed was the fast-travel. She only had to get to a certain spot, and in the blink of a loading screen she was taken wherever on the map she wanted to go. The reality of getting from place to place was not so convenient. She had grown accustomed to the long hikes through wilderness in her time here, and sometimes it was even pleasant, but on days like this – where the rain pelted down on her mercilessly, wind chilling her soaked flesh down to the bone – she wished this world had cars.

She remembered another time she had been freezing and soaking wet. Thoughts of Sand placing the warm blanket over her shoulders and handing her a plate of hot, homemade food made her yearn to go inside a cabin and sit by a fire for hours. She wondered if he had a spell or potion that could protect her from the rain. She made a mental note to ask him as soon as she got back.

After several hours the rain subsided, giving a bit of relief to her and her companions. They were still soaked to the bone, but at least they would be given a chance to dry off as they walked.

Nearing the crest of a small hill, Alea heard what sounded like singing coming from their path ahead. She grinned ear-to-ear, knowing exactly who it was. When they got close enough to discern the words, they saw a strange little man dancing in a clearing, singing an odd song, "Whitethistle, whitethistle all in a row. In Neverwinter Woods, they all grooow!"

And just like that, Alea had a new addition to her band of misfits.

While the long-winded gnome prattled on about his adventures, Alea sat by the fire and got to work on drying her belongings. She wasn't shy, stripping down to her underclothes to allow them to dry properly, knowing that no one here would mind. She doubted Grobnar would even notice, and Khelgar had been traveling with her long enough that she was perfectly comfortable with him. Her physical insecurities were virtually nonexistent in her elvish body, so where she before would have been unlikely to disrobe, she didn't hesitate.

Alea listened with interest as she got to hear his entire spiel for the first time. When she was only playing the game, Grobnar's chatter went on so long that they skipped hours of it. She figured it made sense, but she was excited to hear her favorite bard's tales of adventure. She may not have been able to get a word in edgewise, but she still listened with genuine fascination as the creature that was Grobnar Gnomehands recounted his stories. By the end of it, Alea was half convinced that Grobnar was nothing less than a mad genius.

"Oh dear," he eventually said, seeming to remember there were other people here, "it would appear that I have been rambling on for quite some time. Perhaps we ought to get some sleep."

Alea agreed, noting her drooping eyelids, "Yeah. I don't know if I can stay up much longer. Thanks for the stories, Grobnar," she smiled fondly at the odd little man and laid out her bedroll, curling up and falling asleep almost immediately.

* * *

 _She was falling… down, further and further into a dark pit that had no bottom she could see. Above her, she saw the silhouette of a large figure, standing at the edge of the precipice she was hurtling down. Even through the rush of wind blowing past her ears as she descended, she could hear the creature laughing._

 _The sound was deep and monstrous, like the embodiment of evil itself were playing with her. She was just a toy to it. A form of entertainment. And yet, something else lay beneath the frightening laughter. A malicious intent that went far beyond her. She was the trigger; a simple switch that would turn off all light. Whatever lay at the bottom of this pit, she would cause a reaction that would give the laughing creature exactly what it wanted._

 _She searched desperately for something to hold onto. Something she could grab that would stop her plunge into ultimate darkness. Soon after this thought came to her, bits of… something… began materializing in the air. Some got in her eyes, making them water. As more and more of the matter began to show, she realized that they were grains of sand. They seemed to be reaching out for her, grasping at her robes, slowing her plunge._

 _Soon, she found she was no longer falling. She hadn't reached the bottom, yet somehow, she stood on an endless beach, stretched out between two vast seas. The ocean to her right was so bright, she could hardly look at it. It emanated with a searing heat that felt as if it could melt the very flesh off her bones if she got too close. On the left she saw an ocean of all-consuming darkness. It seemed to reject even the idea of light, and it sucked in all warmth until there was none left to be had._

 _When she tried to move toward one or the other, she felt her very self changing to reflect the direction she had moved in. The only place where she felt as if she was her truest self, was when she stood on the sand in the center. It kept the two seas balanced between one another. Curious, she began walking along the beach, wondering what else there may be._

 _She walked for what felt like an instant, as well as an eternity. Which it was, she didn't know. But it no longer mattered. Instead, her mind was occupied with the sight before her. The sandy path had ended, merging the two seas together. In the place where they met was a swirling maelstrom. The two opposing seas violently crashed into one another in an endless war, neither one gaining more ground than the other._

 _Her eyes strained, looking into the pandemonium. There, standing directly in the center, was a lone figure. She couldn't quite see their face through the anarchy. She reached out, wishing that she could speak with the strange person. Just as she had that thought, the sand in front of her stretched forward a few feet. The chaotic war that had once taken place there subsided, but it continued on where the sand still ended._

 _She stepped forward, and soon found that as she walked, the sand moved with her, separating the two warring forces. Taking another tentative step forward, she smiled when the sand once again, extended to accommodate her. Looking toward the figure, she broke into a run, racing across the ever-growing beach. Behind her, the war subdued, the colliding forces no longer needing to battle against the other. She sprinted forward until she reached her destination._

 _Standing in front of her, back turned, was a familiar-looking figure. She couldn't place who it was. She knew somehow that if she only saw their face, everything would make sense. All the answers she sought were right there. All she had to do was look at them._

 _The figure began to turn, until-_

Alea awoke with a start.

* * *

Orcs swarmed Alea and her friends. She hacked and slashed at them with her godlike katana, casting spells every few seconds. It didn't take long before her enemies lay dead at her feet.

Khelgar grinned, "Well that was entertaining. Looks like we caught them by surprise for a change."

Right as he said that, another large wave of foes emerged from the crest of a hill, charging toward them with vicious cries.

"Just like orcs," the dwarf commented, "they don't know when to quit."

That's when she saw him. For the first time in her life, Alea was genuinely star-struck as she watched Casavir, paladin of Tyr, charge forward, followed closely by several soldiers. He struck at their attackers ferociously, and she could see how he was given the name Katalmach.

Khelgar was incensed, "Wh-? Hey! Those are our orcs!"

Grinning like a mania, Alea charged forward, plunging her katana into an orc's heart. She spun deftly, dodging and striking with all the grace that her enhanced – and advantaged due to her earlier cheating – elven body could muster. She was nothing like the human she had been only a few months prior. So little time had gone by, and she already felt like a completely different person.

The last of the orcs was slain by none other than Casavir himself, who swung his hammer, crushing the skull of his enemy. The orc fell to the ground in a heap. Casavir stood up, a look of grim resignation permanently painted on his face. Alea nearly swooned when she heard his voice for the first time, "The Sword Mountains are a dangerous place. More now than ever, with the orc tribes gathered behind Logram's banner."

Alea knew the script of this conversation by hear, and didn't want to mess it up, so she played along with what she knew she was supposed to say, "I am grateful for your assistance."

"I am Casavir, and my men and I have been hunting this group of orcs for days."

 _Why yes, yes you are_ , she thought, doing her best to keep a serious expression on her face. It was a struggle not to break into a fit of fangirling giggles. "You're the one that's been harassing the orcs?"

Casavir nodded, "We've been hunting the orcs here for many months. Recently, we have stepped up attacks, however. When Neverwinter finally moved to retake Old Owl Well, we redoubled or efforts - with the orcs being attacked from two fronts, it prevents them from massing to retake the Well." He tilted his head slightly, "I'm curious. Why have you ventured into the mountains? Surely you understood the risk in coming here."

Alea finally got control of herself, and continued following the script, "We're searching for the orc chieftain, Logram Eyegouger."

"Then we share the same goal. His lair is difficult to find, and the approach is no doubt well-defended. Killing Logram would certainly throw the orcs into disarray. However," he raised his eyebrow inquisitively, "I'm guessing that you have another purpose for being here as well."

"Why would you say that?"

" Well, anyone looking to slay the orc tribe chieftain would normally bring along a larger force. No matter. As our goals are the same, your reasons are none of my concern."

She couldn't stop a small smile from her face as she asked, "Will you be joining me?"

"If you intend to enter the stronghold of Logram, it is to the north. I can lead the way."

She allowed a full-on grin to grace her features, no longer able to hold back. "Your help is appreciated."

"And you shall have it. Logram's death will be a serious blow to the orcs."

Katriona chimed in, "We've lost some men, but I'll assemble who I can and join you on the assault."

"No, Katriona," he protested, "we have already lost too many, and a massed attack on Logram will only cost us more - I will be going on alone."

That was obviously not the answer she wanted. "Casavir… sir… we kept you from this once. I think it's best if…"

"Please," he interrupted, "it is important you do as I ask. Take the survivors and fall back to the Greycloaks camp. Do what you can to help them and keep the pressure on the orcs. If we cannot defeat Logram, then he will come after them in full force, and the Greycloaks must be warned."

Katriona looked incredulous, "So after all this time avoiding the Neverwinter forces, now you want me to stride right into their camp? Look… Casavir… let me go with you. There is no need to keep doing this alone - let us help you."

Even though Alea knew he'd say no, she continued following the script, "We could use the extra men, Casavir."

He shook his head, "A smaller group will move quicker and attract less attention. The trail to Logram's lair is narrow - more swords will not aid us there."

"I've seen that trail. If you go up there, you will be nothing more than easy targets. Gods know what guards or defenses they have… you'll be killed."

"You have your orders, Katriona. We'll meet you back at the Greycloaks camp after we have dealt with Logram."

Katriona deflated, knowing he wouldn't budge, "Very well. Good luck sir."

Casavir turned to Alea, "Are you ready to take on Logram and his clan? I can guide you to the path to his lair. It will require that I take a place at your side, however - if your group can spare the room."

Katriona left with the others of Casavir's men. Alea beamed, finally letting herself speak freely, "Welcome aboard, Casavir, paladin of Tyr. I'm Alea." She grew suddenly shy, but couldn't stop herself from asking, "Can… Can I hug you?"

Everyone stared at her, mixed expressions of bemusement, horror, and straight-up confusion written on their faces.

Casavir was the most shocked of all, "umm… Pardon, my lady?"

She squealed internally. He'd said it! He'd called her 'my lady' just like in the game! She nearly melted. Forgetting all etiquette and decorum, she rushed forward and nearly tackled the stunned man, squeezing him even through his armor, due to her enhanced strength, "I have so much to tell you!"

Casavir stood there, unsure of how to deal with the situation. A strange elf woman was nearly crushing him, holding on to him as if she'd known him her whole life. He knew people liked him easily due to his high paladin charisma, a gift from Tyr to put people at ease in his presence. However, it had never driven anyone quite this far.

When the moon-elf who called herself Alea finally let go, she beamed up at him as if her behavior were perfectly normal, "Let's go orc-hunting, shall we?"

"Aye, that's what I'm talkin' about!" Khelgar bellowed gleefully, ignoring the awkward tension in the air that everyone but himself and Alea felt.

Casavir cleared his throat, "Indeed. Follow my lead. We should reach the trail in a few hours if we make haste." He began walking forward and Alea followed, her companions obediently trailing along.

Neeshka whispered to Alea, "What in the nine hells was that about?"

"What," Alea asked, innocently.

Neeshka stared at her blankly until she gave in, "Okay, okay! I know more about him than I let on. He's an amazing person and I'm excited to have finally met him in person. I'm completely fangirling about it, is that what you want to hear?"

Neeshka frowned, then grumbled, "I don't like him… His aura makes my skin itch!"

"Sorry, hun, but we need him. I have a feeling he's going to be around for a long time." Alea did genuinely feel bad that Neeshka would be so uncomfortable. "I could ask Sand if he has anything that could help you resist his aura?"

An impish grin graced the tiefling's face, "Oh? You'd do that for me? How sweet. Are you sure you just don't want an excuse to talk to that wizard you've been spending so much time with?"

Alea gave her a confused look, "Huh? What do you mean by that?"

Neeshka shrugged, the mischief never leaving her eyes, "Oh, just that you two spend a lot of _alone_ time together in that shop of his. And you always insist that none of us come with you when you visit. You didn't honestly think I wouldn't guess what was going on," she added with a lecherous wink.

Comprehension dawned on Alea's face as she realized what Neeshka was implying, "No! no, no no, that is not even a little bit what is happening!" She felt her cheeks grow hot as a blush rose unbidden to her face at the very idea, "how can you think that?"

Neeshka's grin somehow grew wider, "Don't give me that. I've seen the way you always come back flushed, blushing like crazy and glowing as if you'd just had your first time. That elf makes you grin like no other, it's completely obvious you're into him."

Alea couldn't deny she thought Sand was attractive. In fact, he was absolutely gorgeous, and lots of fun to talk to. She loved being with him, and she felt comfortable around him, but that was far different from crushing on him… right?

"I am not, you're just looking for something that isn't there. He and I are just friends. We're working on a… project… of sorts. I need help and he's the only one who can do anything."

Neeshka rolled her eyes, not believing a word of it, "Right, just friends. While we're at it, let's list other things that aren't true," she began counting off random things on her fingers, "The sky is green, Leldon is the best thief in Neverwinter, Khelgar and I are besties, Oceans are dry…" She continued on, but Alea ignored her, fuming. She loved her friend, but the tiefling could be infuriating at times.

She would never admit to Neeshka that her immediate thought was that she wanted to go storm across the street from the Sunken Flagon and vent about her frustrating friends to the very person she was being teased about. Sand was a surprisingly good listener. Attentive, and smart, and…

She shook that thought out of her head. Neeshka was just messing with her. Now was not the time. She cleared her mind and focused on the task at hand: Killing Logram.


	7. Medieval Comforts

Chapter 7: Medieval Comforts

Logram made Alea's eyes roll. She pretended to try to talk sense into him, for the sake of not looking like a homicidal maniac, but she knew he wouldn't' bite. So, eventually, she wound up stabbing him through the heart and burning all his minions to a crisp. She didn't want to waste time with him, knowing that the longer she took to take care of the orcs, the longer she'd be stuck in this stinking cave. It smelled like urine and blood, and she did not appreciate the suffocating walls. She also didn't want to use too many spells on them, as they'd be fighting undead in the next level.

She also couldn't shake the feeling of homesickness that had started to creep into her lately. Earth wasn't that great, and she didn't lead a very exciting life, but she still had family that would no doubt be wondering what had happened to her at this point. For a grim moment she wondered if they would be very affected by her absence at all. They loved her, and she knew that, but she didn't see them too often. She wondered if they would continue searching for her for years, or if they would presume her dead and move on with their lives.

The thought plagued her, and she frowned, absentmindedly slicing the throats of ghouls that she had set on fire moments earlier. Khelgar caught the look, and once the last undead in the immediate area had been taken out, he turned to her, "You alright, lass? You seem a bit down."

Grobnar responded with his usual cheeriness, "I find a song always perks me up. Would you like to hear one?"

"Later, Grobs, for sure," Alea smiled slightly at the half-insane gnome, then turned back to Khelgar and leaned against the wall with a frustrated sigh, "I just miss home. Where I'm from, there are no ghouls to fight or orcs to slay. Nobody was actively trying to kill me or anyone I knew. The most dangerous thing I'd ever done was walk across the street without looking both ways."

Casavir looked at her curiously, "This sounds like a paradise. What manner of place is it where there are no dangers to overcome?"

"It's not quite that simple," she explained, "It's definitely not paradise, but the threat of death is a lot less prominent there. Although," she admitted, "We don't have healing potions nearly as strong or fast-working as there are here."

"Interesting. If you do not mind my asking, where is this home of yours?"

Neeshka leaned over and whispered in Alea's ear, "Mind if I tell him?"

Alea just nodded and took a sip from her waterskin while Neeshka explained the situation. Well, she explained the parts that Alea had told her. The only one who knew about their being game characters was still Sand. Everyone else just thought she just wound up here at random. Although, Neeshka did wonder at Alea's uncanny ability to know what someone was going to say or do before it happened. She honestly thought it was a little creepy.

"Alea Stormrun, our dearest wizard – who somehow seems to be all-powerful-"

Alea snorted at that, knowing exactly why they thought that. But, her cheats would only carry them through a portion of the game. When she got to her trial by combat, that's when she'd be in any real danger. Until then, she hadn't been worried about her fights.

"Ahem," Neeshka continued, "As I was saying, Alea here, isn't from Neverwinter. Or the Sword Coast. Or anywhere on this entire plane of existence, to put it briefly. She's from some place called America where battle is a lot less common. She got here through some kind of portal or whatever. Now she's here, just trying to survive, despite seemingly countless forces doing their best to end her."

Alea chimed in, "I've got no idea what makes me so important, but people keep trying to kill me, so I might as well roll with the punches and see where I end up." She closed her waterskin and unsheathed her katana, "We should get going. I want out of this wretched hole."

"Yes," Casavir agreed, "Let us press on."

* * *

Someone burst through Sand's door, and before he could even look up to see who had so rudely slammed it open, he smelled the odor of blood, rot, and sweat emanating from the offending intruder. He looked up sharply, prepared to tell whoever it was to turn around and walk straight to the nine hells, when he suddenly stopped. It was Alea.

She wore her robe of scintillating colors that just so happened to be covered in what appeared to be several different types of blood, dirt, and the gods know what else. Sweaty, smelly, and glowering, she made quite a sight.

"Please tell me you have a proper bath, with warm water, that isn't just a giant wooden bucket. I am sick of getting splinters in my rear-end every time I try to bathe in the tub at the inn." She stomped into Sand's shop, ignoring the trail of mud she brought in.

"Of course, dear girl. That is, if you can find the clasps to undo that robe of yours under all that grime. You could, of course, simply bathe with them on, but as that is not customary, I can imagine you would prefer not to."

"Great," she breathed a sigh of relief, "where is it? I need it."

"Really? I couldn't tell. It was always my belief that most people preferred to walk around coated in mud and gore. Based on the stink of the city folk here in the docks, you can understand why I would come to that conclusion."

"I swear to Mystra, if you don't tell me where the bath is, and where I can find some soap, I will track mud all over your entire house, including your precious lab-area, and then proceed to steal something from your closet to replace my robes while they're cleaned. Maybe I could take the nice silver one you seem to favor. Or perhaps I'll just use it as a washrag, to get the majority of this gunk off of me."

Sand openly smirked, "Good luck getting to it. The wards prevent anyone but myself from entering my room without express permission. If you even try, you'll be nursing pus-filled boils for a fortnight."

Alea wrinkled her nose, "Ew. What kind of a spell is that?"

"Trust me when I say, you don't want to know. Now if you'll follow me," Sand walked around his counter and disappeared behind a door. Alea followed and found a flight of stairs leading upward to a hallway. Sand opened a door and revealed one of the most beautiful things Alea had seen since coming to the Sword Coast…

He had plumbing.

Alea didn't know how he did it. Maybe it was a magic thing, maybe it was the same scientific water system she'd had at home, maybe she was just straight-up hallucinating. But at the moment, she didn't care. Even if the water was freezing cold, she'd be able to have a proper shower for the first time in months. It suddenly made sense how Sand was able to stay so clean all the time.

"Sweet mother of all that is holy, this is the greatest thing I have ever seen…"

Sand smirked slightly, "Yes, I may live in the docks district, but I still enjoy my comforts. Systems like this are expensive, unless you happen to be someone of considerable arcane talent, who can build complex magical devices such as this. Lucky for you, I am just such a person. Feel free to shower me with praise, no pun intended."

Alea was so overjoyed that she grabbed Sand and kissed him hard on the cheek, "You're the best!" Without another word, she raced into the room and shut the door firmly behind her, leaving a perplexed Sand out in the hallway. He lifted his hand to his cheek, the spot tingled where her lips had met his skin. It was an admittedly rough kiss, no doubt a spur-of-the-moment thing caused by excitement and gratitude, but it was a kiss just the same. He stood there for a moment, still as a statue, trying to process what had just happened, when the door opened again. He hurriedly dropped his hand, hoping that Alea hadn't noticed his stunned, blushing expression. It didn't help that she was hiding behind the door, holding her dress out to him.

"Hey, could you do me a favor?"

"Besides granting you access to a highly-coveted magical system that produces warm, free-flowing water?" He raised an eyebrow, pretending to be unaffected by the fact that her bare shoulder was completely visible to him, and the only thing between him and her was a slab of wood, without which she would be completely exposed.

She rolled her eyes and continued, "Could you run over to the Flagon and give this to Duncan to wash? Then pick up another set of clothing if you can? I'd really appreciate it," Alea gave Sand her best puppy dog eyes, and the most charming smile she could muster, hoping that even the cold and calculating Sand would give in.

She was not disappointed. Sighing Sand took the filthy robe between two fingers, holding it away from him to avoid getting any of the grime on himself, "Very well. Though if that insufferable girl Qara is there, I may just drop it on the floor and leave. I do not like the girl, and every conversation I've ever had with her annoys me to the point of having to actively hold myself back from casting a silence spell on her."

Alea waved her hand dismissively, "Oh hush, she'll probably just ignore you anyways. Just don't look in her general direction and it'll be fine." With that, she once again closed the door behind her. Sand heard the sound of running water, and Alea's sigh of contentment as she stepped into the shower.

He didn't realize he'd been holding his breath until he finally released it, his heart pounding. Was this happening? Was Alea in his washroom right then? Was he actually holding her robes, as she stood, completely unclothed, only a few feet away from him? He took a deep breath to calm himself and immediately regretted it. Her robe was putrid. He nearly coughed as the scent of her latest adventure assaulted his nose. Holding it as far away from himself as his arms would allow, Sand strode to the Sunken Flagon to find Duncan tending the counter.

"Ah, if it isn't the prince of stench himself. I bring an offering for your vast kingdom."

Duncan looked up and glared at Sand, "What do you want, ya half-baked charlatain?"

Sand dropped Alea's robe on the counter, right where Duncan had just finished cleaning, "This belongs to your dear niece. Apparently, she felt the accommodations at your facility were somewhat lacking in cleanliness. Something about splinters in her backside. Long story short she is using the washroom in my shop, which I imagine is far more comfortable than the ones provided here. She has tasked me with requesting you wash her robe, and give me access to her rooms so that I can bring her new ones."

Duncan looked more than a little furious, "I'll be burnin' in the hells before I let you into Alea's bedroom unattended! The gods only know what sick things you would do in there by yourself."

Sand wrinkled his nose at the insinuation, and glowered at the wood elf, "Then by all means, bring them yourself. But unless you're comfortable with your beloved niece walking across the streets completely disrobed, I suggest you provide me with a set of clothing to give her once she's finished ridding herself of the grime she's accumulated from staying in this filthy inn of yours."

Duncan fumed, but turned to his one and only employee, "Sal, get this robe washed thoroughly, and keep an eye on this pitiful excuse for a wizard. I'll be right back." With one more angry look at Sand, Duncan climbed the stairs and used his skeleton key to get into Alea's room. Opening the closet, he grabbed the first robe he saw and stormed back down the stairs, where Sand was waiting with a bored expression on his face. "Here," Duncan tossed the robe to Sand, who caught it in one hand, "Don't even think about doin' anything with that robe that isn't handin' it directly to Alea."

Rolling his eyes with a dramatic sigh, Sand headed toward the door, "Unlike you, I am not an ill-mannered drunk. I have far more decorum to do anything but give her what she specifically asked for. And by the way," He turned, holding up the garment, "this is a dress, not a robe. Please learn the difference before you make an even bigger fool of yourself," and with that, he was out the door, closing it behind him before Duncan could respond.

Sand knocked on the washroom door, and Alea called out, "Yes?"

"I have your clothes," he said simply.

"Oh, good!" The sound of water stopped and the door opened. Alea peeked her head out, visibly cleaner. "I was just finishing up," she grabbed the dress from Sand's outstretched hand, "You don't by chance happen to have a towel do you?"

"I suppose you'll be asking me to fetch you one next. I am not your servant, you know, I do have other things to do than run errands at your beck and call," he stated, somewhat lying. He wouldn't delude himself into thinking that he wouldn't do whatever she asked. He was wrapped around her finger; but Alea didn't need to know that.

"Please," she asked sweetly, giving him her puppy-dog impression once again.

His resolve melted and he turned with a sigh toward his storage closet. Grabbing one of the softer towels, he brought it to her and raised an eyebrow sarcastically, "Is there anything else I can do for you, your highness?"

"Yes," she smiled, "shut up." With that she disappeared back behind the door, and Sand allowed himself a large grin.

Shaking his head, he wandered back down the stairs and began to close the shop. It was getting late and he doubted he'd see any more customers for the rest of the night. The only people who stayed out this late were either up to something shady, or they simply wanted to get hopelessly drunk.

A few minutes later, Alea came down the stairs, far happier than when she had come in. She was cleaner than he could remember ever seeing her, and her dress complemented her form nicely. Sand appreciated the view in silence as she floated about the room, "That felt so good," she smiled, content, "You have no idea how much I've missed showers."

"I believe I would be safe in assuming it was a lot," he replied, packing away some of the potions and casting the locking wards back on his cupboards.

She briefly looked in a mirror, "Wow, I really was grimy… My skin is two shades lighter."

"I must admit the smell is a lot better as well," Sand commented absently, "Perhaps you ought to avoid using the Flagon's washroom from this point on. I don't think I've ever seen you this clean."

"That," she said brightly, "Is a grand idea. Thanks for the offer."

"I beg your pardon…?"

"There's no way you're keeping me from that shower, now that I know it's there. You should expect to see much more of me from here on out." With that she placed her now damp towel on the countertop and turned to the door. Over her shoulder she added, "Breakfast tomorrow. My treat. Be over at sunrise, so we can go over everything that happened while I was gone."

The door closed behind her and Sand blinked in surprise. Had she just offered to cook for him? Surely, she didn't expect him to eat that garbage Duncan served to his guests, did she?

She did not. Alea walked into the Sunken Flagon and greeted Duncan with a cheery smile, "Hello, Uncle, it's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Alea. Say, that charlatan didn't try anything with you, did he? He said you were washin' up at his place. He even tried to convince me to let him into your room. I told him he could go to the hells."

Alea just reached up and planted a soft kiss on her uncle's cheek, "I trust Sand. Anyway, mind if I use the kitchen tomorrow morning? I want to make something myself."

"Of course, what's mine is yours. Use whatever you like."

"Thanks," she smiled sweetly, "Oh, and as for Sand, if he needs something from my room, just let him in. Chances are I'll have sent him there myself. Besides, it's not like he's going to steal my dresses and try them on."

"Now that's an image," Neeshka walked up, giving Alea a playful nudge, "I doubt I'll be able to look him in the eyes again without picturing him in your lady's things. It'll sure be hard to keep a straight face after that."

"Sweet Tyr, Neesh, I said dresses, not underwear. Get your mind out of the gutter." Despite her scolding words, she laughed, not able to get the image of Sand wearing frilly women's undergarments out of her head.

"Ah, you've returned," a deep voice greeted her. She turned to see Casavir had also bathed and changed out of his armor. "I was hoping to hear more about this place you come from."

"Baaaaah," A loud voice boomed, "Let's stop talkin' already and start drinkin'! I'll bet ten gold pieces that I can out-drink anyone in this whole city. Any challengers?"

Neeshka grinned, "Oh, you are SO on."

Alea yawned, "Actually, I think I'm gonna head to bed. I'm exhausted."

"As you wish, my lady," Casavir bowed slightly, "Rest well."

She moved up the stairs and climbed into the bed, happy to be off her feet for the first time since she'd left for Old Owl Well. That night, she dreamt of sitting by a warm fire. Someone was holding her safe in their arms. Her, and the person with her, were doing nothing but enjoying each other's quiet presence. It was so simple, but it was one of the sweetest dreams she'd ever had.

A small part of her noted that the person in her dream looked a lot like Sand.


	8. Pizza Peril

Happy national kissing day! This chapter is in honor of this, as it was written on July 6th.

Reviews make writers happy. Happy writers give more frequent updates. If you like the story, let me know :) If you don't, tell me how I can improve, I always welcome feedback and constructive criticism. (Of course, blind worship and virgin sacrifices are good too, if you're especially dedicated.)

* * *

Chapter 8: Pizza Peril

Pizza. Alea missed pizza. That's why she decided to put that cooking class she took way back in junior high to good use.

When Alea asked Elanee if she'd be willing to gather a few extra ingredients, the druid's eyebrow shot up quizzically, but she did so willingly. As her only companion who was not either asleep or horribly hung over, Elanee was the only one who would be able to get everything she needed in time. Sunrise was coming soon, and Alea planned to share a little bit of proper American culture with her favorite moon elf. Sadly, she didn't have hot dogs, hamburgers, or even ketchup, but she did know a simple pizza recipe.

When Elanee returned, laden with cheeses and other assortments of ingredients, Alea finished her creation and set it in Duncan's old brick oven. She fought back a smirk when she saw the look of utter confusion on Elanee's face upon seeing her large, flat creation.

While she waited for her creation to cook, she sat in a chair to read. She'd swiped a novel off one of Sand's shelves. He'd told her it was a realistic fiction, but to her it read as a fantasy epic. Once again, she marveled at how much had changed the fateful day she had decided to play Neverwinter Nights 2 for the thirteenth time.

Slowly, the air around her began filling with the aroma of baking crust and warm tomato sauce. Taking a deep breath in through her nose, she smiled contently, turning another page.

This was the scene that greeted Sand as he came to meet her in the morning. The air smelled like something completely unfamiliar to him, although it wasn't offensive or unpleasant, like the Flagon usually smelled. Walking in, he noted the change in scent absently as his eyes fell on a gently smiling Alea, engrossed in the book she'd borrowed. Unbidden, the thought occurred to him that he could get used to that image. It was much like a masterful painting, lighting up the room significantly. He nearly rolled his eyes at the foolishness of that thought.

As he stepped forward to greet her, she heard his footsteps and looked up. Her face brightened when she saw him, "Sand! Good morning, you're right on time."

"Based on the fact that my nose is not being assaulted, I can assume that whatever is cooking in that kitchen is not of Duncan's doing."

Duncan, who had been tending the inn, heard him and shot Sand the stink eye, but said nothing.

She grinned and shrugged, "I may not be a master chef, but I know a few things. Stay there, I'll be right back." Alea darted behind the counter and into the kitchen. A few moments later, she was holding a slab of wood covered by a cloth. Walking to the door she said simply, "Follow me."

"As you wish," Sand replied dryly, wondering what in the world she was up to.

"This," Alea explained as they walked toward the city gates, "Is something we have all the time where I'm from."

"Ah yes," Sand mused sarcastically, "I have always wondered what slab-of-wood tasted like."

Alea grinned mischievously, "just you wait."

They exited the gates and walked a slight distance away into the surrounding woods. When they arrived at a clearing, Alea chose a shady tree and sat beneath it. Sand merely looked at her.

"Oh, come on, a little dirt never hurt anyone," patting the ground beside her she beckoned, "sit."

Grumbling under his breath in annoyance at sitting on the ground when his shop had a perfectly good table and chairs, she sat beside her. "So, what is this mysterious otherworldly cuisine?"

Her eyes lighting up, Alea grabbed the cloth covering their meal and revealed a flat, circular… something. "This," she announced proudly, "Is called pizza."

Sand looked at it, his nose wrinkling. "Indeed. Is it meant to be a cart's wheel, or do people where you're from use it to cushion their seats? It looks ill-suited to anything else," he gave her a wry look.

Rolling her eyes, Alea picked up a piece and held it out to him, "Just try it."

"Is this some form of punishment," he asked, "or has the constant threat of death in this world finally driven you mad?"

Deciding not to dignify this with a response, she simply held the piece of pizza right next to his face, "Open uuuuuup," she teased, speaking to him like he was a toddler.

Glaring at her, he tried to say something back, but the moment his mouth opened to speak she shoved the odd food right into his mouth. He sputtered and nearly gagged in surprise, not prepared for the onslaught of flavors. When Alea saw him trying to spit it out, mostly out of spite, she clamped her hand against his mouth, and kept it shut. He struggled to get free, but her enhanced strength made the feat effortless for the she-elf.

"Shhhhh," she whispered, more than a little condescending. Her breath on his sensitive elf-ear sent an involuntary shiver down his spine. He hoped she didn't notice.

Sand tried to snap a remark at her, but between being gagged as well as being far too close to her to form coherent thought, it simply came out as a jumbled, "Hmm-nm Mn Hm-mn-nm!" Which roughly translated to _'release me, you foul temptress!_ ' He would have cast a stun spell on her, but he couldn't voice an incantation. It was all horribly inconvenient and undignified and embarrassingly sexy of her.

"Nope," she replied, pretending to have understood him, "chew, swallow, and then I'll let you go. After that you can decide if you like it or not."

Reluctantly, after much struggling and squirming, Sand chewed the too-large bite of Alea's alien food, forcing it down his throat. It didn't taste particularly bad. It was strange, for sure, but not bad. Mostly he just wanted Alea to free him, so his heartrate could get back under control.

After Sand stopped chewing, he nodded to confirm he had finished paying his own ransom. Alea grinned brightly, only a hint of her previous mischief remaining on her face as she let go, "Did you like it? It's one of my culture's favorite foods. It's used for all sorts of occasions: Parties, comfort food, dates, boredom, movie nights, and really anything short of a suit-and-tie event."

Sand had no idea what a movie night was, but he didn't much care. He wouldn't have minded the meal so much if it hadn't been shoved down his throat so forcefully. He said as much and Alea just smirked wolfishly, "Then you should have just tried it when I asked you nicely, instead of forcing my hand," she took a casual bite from what remained of the slice she had forced Sand to try. "Mmmm," she purred, leaning against the tree trunk, "I've missed this. Months of nothing but wild game and questionable stew made me homesick, if only for the fact that we actually put sugar and spices into our foods. Everything in this world tastes so bland. Is it too much to ask for a bit of salt now and again?"

"Yes," Sand said bluntly, his attitude showing plenty of salt for the both of them, "Halite is not exactly common along the sword coast."

"What about sea salt," Alea countered.

Sand just gave her a queer look, "How in the nine hells would you get salt from water? The sea has no salt in it, unless there's some odd form of aquatic halite that I am not aware of," he stared at her with a mixture of judgment and confusion on his face.

Alea just shrugged, "Whatever," and took another bite. "Here, try some on your own this time. Unless of course you need to be fed like an infant?"

Grumbling, Sand took his own slice and imitated Alea's way of holding it. Together they sat, enjoying the peaceful morning, despite Sand's occasional angry look at Alea for restraining him as if he were a child. Mostly it was a front. He'd give anything to have her that close to him again.

They discussed her trip to Old Owl Well in detail. Sand pretended not to feel an intense surge of jealousy when she told him how excited she had been to meet Casavir, and how she'd basically been in love with him for years. He clenched his jaw, and his fist tightened a bit at his side, but Alea took no notice of this, as she was too busy examining the clouds while she recounted her tales of heroism.

Alea was ecstatic to finally tell everything that had happened to someone without having to leave out any details, like how she knew a considerable – and probably creepy to the others, now that she thought about it – amount of details on his life and behaviors before ever meeting him. Sand knew exactly how Casavir must feel, because she had essentially laid out his entire life story, darkest secrets included, on the first day they met. If she had done even a fraction of that to the paladin, he must be more than a little curious how she came to know him so well.

"…and then I just ran up and hugged him," she announced, sounding a little sheepish.

Sand blinked, "I beg your pardon?"

"That's what I said. I hugged Casavir. I wasn't really thinking about the fact that he had no idea who I was, even though I've gone through the romance plot with him several times over."

"Hm… There was a romance plot in this game of yours as well?" Sand pretended to sound uninterested.

"Yep," Alea confirmed matter-of-factly, "there are tons of romanceable characters if you play a male character. But, despite the companions being mostly men, Casavir is the only male romanceable character. Bishop is a constant flirt in a lewd way, but at the end of the game, if you've developed your relationship with Cas high enough, before this big huge battle ensues he confesses his love and the gamer can either accept him or reject him. If you accept him, the player's character and Casavir sleep together for their final night of peace before potentially dying in battle. Reject him and… I'm not entirely sure. I never have."

"Hm," he hummed, continuing to feign indifference, "and the other companions remain simply that, no matter what you do?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Alea confirmed, "honestly it always sort-of annoyed me. While I adore the Casavir romance, there could've been so many other pathways to tread, and I'd have loved to explore them."

Sand wrinkled his nose, picturing Alea with her dwarf or gnomish friend. He couldn't see it. Still… hadn't she said that he eventually became her companion too? While she'd been away, he'd stopped trying to delude himself into thinking he could simply forget her. She was gone for a long while, and as much as he hated to admit it, he had missed her. What would happen if Alea decided to play out her and Casavir's eventually intertwining – in more ways than Sand liked to thing about – paths. He wondered if, considering all he knows now, he could change the plot. Still, he thought, why bother? She was only going to go home eventually anyway.

Suddenly Alea sat up, looking around suspiciously. Her ears perked slightly in that elvish way they had when something caught their attention.

Sand rose an eyebrow, "Something wrong?"

Alea whispered urgently, "I… I thought I heard something. It sounded big…"

Sand cautiously stood, looking around to see if there was anything that could be perceived as a threat. His eyes found nothing, but his sharp nose detected something that was definitely off-kilter, and it wasn't Alea's cooking. He held out a hand to help Alea off the ground and she accepted it, startling Sand when she didn't let go. Instead, she held tight to his arm, looking apprehensive.

He was surprised to see her even slightly frightened. Wasn't she one of the most powerful beings on the sword coast? At his questioning gaze she whispered, "There's not supposed to be anything here. Whatever it is, it's not in the game," she pulled closer to him, "I don't like not knowing…"

"Indeed…" Sand agreed, "We should be off. As delightful as it was to be force-fed squashed bread covered with random chunks of who- _knows_ -what, I don't relish the idea of being attacked by something not even the _all-knowing_ Alea Stormrun is aware of, no matter how large it may be."

Alea just nodded, staying close to Sand as they walked back toward the Neverwinter Docks. The trip back had been taking much longer, seeing as Alea insisted on their walking in stealth, all the while clinging to his arm like a lifeline. Still, she did her best to put on a brave face, though it was apparent to Sand that she was incredibly uneasy.

It struck long before either of them saw it. A massive arm reached out of the ground behind them, silently snaking along – impossibly long and nimble, with what seemed like hundreds of elbows. A few yards away, in another direction, the other arm was reaching out, knocking about every few minutes to distract its prey. Slowly, it crept along, until it reached its prize.

Alea gasped as something latched onto her ankle, yanking her to the ground. Quick as an arrow it began dragging her toward whatever dark fate it had in store. The elf, however, was not as easy prey as it had hoped. She pulled a dagger from where it had been hidden in her boot and stabbed the hand that held her, severing one of its fingers. The pain caused it to slow significantly, but still it held fast.

Luckily, she wasn't alone. Sand began casting. After a few words of power, black tentacles reached up from the ground, grasping at the arm, and pulling it nearly to a stop. This gave Alea the chance to strike more precisely, and she drove it into the creature's wrist, twisting the blade until the flesh broke free. The arm, now little more than a long, bleeding stump, wriggled about, retreating back into its hole. The other arm began to approach, but Sand spotted it before it reached Alea. He cast his most precise spell, magic missiles, and struck the protruding limb with ferocity. It wriggled about in pain, but still continued forward, this time trained on Sand.

By this time, Alea was able to regain her feet. She saw the second arm, and thinking quickly, cast her most powerful freeze spell, hoping to slow it down. The effect was far more than she expected. The writhing chunk of elbows slowed to a stop, unable to move.

It was frozen solid.

Panting, Alea worked on calming herself down. There was nothing like this in the game, and she had no idea what it could have been. Looking to Sand, she hoped for an explanation, but she saw only cold calculation in his eyes, mixed with a bout of confusion.

"What in Skyrim's realm was that," Alea asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sand simply shook his head, "I haven't the slightest idea, dear girl." It struck Alea that Sand had just saved her life. Without his spells, she would likely be at the mercy of whatever horrible creature that had been. She watched as he strode to the now-frozen arm, examining it closely, "I have never seen anything like this… We should take it back to study more thoroughly."

Alea looked at him, wondering If he'd lost his mind, "Take it with us!? That thing nearly killed me! What if it thaws and tries to grab one of us again?"

He gave her a chastising look, "While I sincerely doubt that would happen, you misunderstand my meaning. We do not need the entire thing, merely a sample. I recommend we break off the hand and bring it to my shop where I can perform proper experiments to discover what it is and where it came from. I believe that if you are as unfamiliar with this creature as you were about the Velsixunyrr, then it may be related to how you got here in the first place. If we find out where it came from, we may be lead to a way to send you home."

Sighing, Alea nodded. She figured he was right. If she ever wanted to get back home, they needed to investigate every phenomenon possible. And she definitely wanted to go home… right?

"Care to do the honors?" he gestured to their fallen foe dramatically, with a slight bow.

Alea steeled her nerves and walked cautiously to the lifeless limb. With one quick strike, she broke the hand off at the nearest elbow, about two feet from the wrist. The creepy thing fell to the ground unceremoniously and Alea bent down to pick it up. It was surprisingly light.

She looked at Sand, "Will you hold my hand?"

He looked at her quizzically, "I beg your pardon?" His chest tightened a bit at the question.

She held out the arm, "I don't want to carry this, it freaks me out. Will you bring it back?"

A mixture of relief and disappointment surged through Sand as he realized what she meant. Wordlessly, he reached for the arm, taking it from Alea. Silently, he noted that her hands were shaking slightly. It struck him how hard all of this must be on her.

They walked back to the shop in silence, both listening intently for any other signs of giant arms reaching up from the ground. Luckily, they were met with no more horrific enemies the rest of the trip. They were, however, stopped by a small group of very drunk men.

This group did not concern Alea, as random encounters were a large part of RPGs and thus were likely not related to whatever force sent her here. She just looked at them in annoyance, "Let us pass, we don't want any trouble with you." She had no doubt that she could kill all of them easily, but she was still the type to avoid bloodshed when possible.

These men were having none of that, "Naaaah, come join us, pretty lady," one of the men slurred, "I can show *hic* you a reeeaaal good time!"

Sand started forward, but Alea put her hand out to stop him, "Let me handle this one, okay?"

He tilted his head in acquiescence, but kept his eyes squared directly on the men, daring them to challenge him.

Alea looked at the drunk man, "I'm perfectly alright, thank you, we will be on our way," she started forward, but another man blocked her path.

"Whassamater?" He half grinned in what was probably supposed to be charming, "You already got someone?"

Alea saw the out and took the opportunity to try and convince them to let her and Sand pass without having to hurt the intoxicated men, "Yes, in fact. This," she gestured to Sand, "is my husband. I do not think he would appreciate you propositioning me further."

This took Sand aback, but he didn't let it show. Instead, he played along, "Indeed. My dear, let us move on, I would very much like to get back to the children before dark. You know how they fight when we are not around, and I would not appreciate coming home to the drapes being set aflame again."

Alea was impressed with how smoothly he lied. She knew he was good at it but seeing it in practice was remarkable. The drunk men, however, were less impressed, "If he's your husband, where's your ring?" one of them asked, noting the lack of jewels on either of their hands.

Alea had to fight not to roll her eyes. Misogyny was alive and well. "We left them at home, in case we were found by bandits. I do not want my most precious possession to be stolen."

One of the drunk men narrowed his eyes, "Not sure I believe you."

Another chimed up, "Yeah, prove it!"

Alea glowered, tempted to just kill them and get it over with, but her moral side won out, and she decided the only way to convince these people to leave with their lives in tact was to give them something to latch onto. "You want proof," she asked, "here's your proof."

Without warning, she walked up and grabbed a handful of Sand's robes, forcing him to her. Their lips met, and she heard him give a startled gasp. Alea noticed how good of an actor he was in that moment. As she kissed him, he kissed her back. It was obviously to make the scene more realistic, but even she was almost convinced that he was in love with her, the way he leaned into her and pulled her close.

Sand's brain completely shut off. He wasn't sure if this was actually happening, or if this was just an extremely vivid dream. Either way, he wasn't complaining. Sand understood Alea's plan to get these drunkards off her heels and decided to just go with it.

He breathed her in, kissing her back fervently, knowing this would likely be the only time he ever would. Even though it wasn't real, his heart nearly stopped. When she began to pull away, his body moved of its own volition, pulling her back to him. She gave a grunt of surprise, but went with the ruse either way, giving a short laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. It made Sand's heart skip a beat.

"Alriiiiight, fine," one of the drunk men complained, "We believe you," he waved his hands at them to get them to stop, frustrated that the hot elf-woman wasn't available. He desperately wanted a woman for the night.

Reluctantly – _very_ reluctantly – Sand pulled away from Alea, wishing it didn't have to end. As amazing as it was, it was still only a means to an end, and no one understood that better than he did, "Shall we move on, my dear," he said in as tender a voice as he could manage, trying to keep the façade up through his jumbled mind.

"Yes, my love," she replied, equally sweetly, "Let's get home to the kids." Taking his hand, she led him forward and out of view of the group of drunk men. When they were safely out of sight, she released his hand and looked at him apologetically, "I'm sorry about that… I should have asked or something, but it was all I could think of to get those idiots off my back. I'm not against doing what needs to be done, but I don't want to kill anyone if I don't absolutely have to."

Sand only shook his head, "No apologies necessary, dear girl," then he gave her a smug grin, "If I were in the presence of someone as incredible and talented as I am, I would have taken any excuse to kiss them as well," he teased. What Sand didn't tell her, was that he had just done exactly that. But she didn't need to know that little bit of information.

She just rolled her eyes, grinning, "Uh-huh. Whatever makes you feel better, ' _my love'_ ," she mocked back lightheartedly. Oddly, she felt her own heart twinge a bit as she reflected on what had happened. She wrote it off as a side-effect of too much pizza, mixed with the adrenaline of fighting off a pair of terrifying giant arms.


	9. Aldanonsense

Hmmm… Am I the only one who thinks Alea is in serious denial?

Let me know what you think, it's always wonderful to hear feedback from others. Whether it be a novel-length review on how I can improve, or a single encouraging word, hearing from you guys always makes my day. 3

(P.S. We learn some important things in this chapter, so you may want to pay very close attention.)

* * *

Chapter 9: Aldanonsense

As soon as Alea returned to the Sunken Flagon, she gathered her party and left to report back to Captain Brelaina. It'd been an exhausting few weeks, and Alea was ready to speak with Aldanon about her… unique situation. Before she could do that, however, there was still one more thing on the itinerary before they'd be granted official access to Blacklake.

The githyanki hideout may have been swarming, but to Alea's powered-up stats, it felt less like being eaten by piranhas, and more like a bunch of guppies trying to nip at her fingers. It was short and underwhelming. The blade golem was frightening to look at in person, but also wasn't overly powerful. Still, it did a respectable amount of damage to her companions as well as the githyanki. Alea had to make sure the others didn't harm it irreparably so that Grobnar would be able to fix it up later. When she ordered them not to ruin it, they looked at her like she'd gone insane. Casavir, at least, pretended not to think her mad, but the others were utterly confused as to why she would let it go.

When Brelaina heard of the ease that Alea and her companions dispatched the githyanki, she was remarkably impressed, but not even a little bit surprised. Alea had proven her worth plenty of times over. Alea nearly danced with joy hearing her entrance to Blacklake officially sanctioned.

They didn't waste time, passing the gate to the district immediately. She was guided to Aldanon's estate, and finally heard the infamously puzzling sage's voice for the first time in person. It brought an amused smile to Alea's fair face.

"I'm sorry, are you here with the delivery?" he called through the door.

Alea called back, "I'm with the City Watch, I'd like to ask you some questions.

"The Watch? Whatever are you here for? Is someone in trouble?"

"I need your help with an investigation."

"Really? I'm always happy to help the Watch – and information is something of a specialty of mine, you know. Quite a hobby. Let me just remove these wards…" There was a bit of suffling around inside before he called out again, "there, all disarmed. I think. Come right on in."

Casavir, being the gentleman he was, opened the door to allow the others through. Alea walked past him, giving him a gracious nod of thanks, and entered into a dimly-lit room. It was cozy, though well-kept. A small bench sat against a wall beneath the portrait of a red-haired young man. Alea didn't recognize him but figured he must either be an ancestor of Aldanon's or some historically significant figure. As her eyes adjusted to the low light, she saw an elderly man in white robes stride in, a cheerful smile on his face. Aldanon himself stood before her.

"Ah, well met, well met… please forgive my rather rude questions at the door. I would never intentionally stand in the way of the City Watch... well unless there was nowhere else to stand really. But that wouldn't happen unless there was a flood. I must confess, normally I'm rather, well, reclusive. Not that I dislike people, mind you – quite the contrary. But lately with all the troubles – a murderer on the loose and young nobles sneaking around, up to who knows what – I've had to place wards around my home."

"Warding your home?" Alea asked, playing along with the script once again.

"Ah yes." Aldanon responded, "Lately I've seen some figures sneaking around in the dark, and not that well-meaning sort of sneaking, either. It's obvious what they want."

Humoring him, she replied, "What do they want?"

"Why, my house, of course? As if I would ever sell it – ridiculous. I'd sooner give up my left eye. But my right annoys me at times, so that would be an easier sell."

"Alright," Alea encouraged, "Please go on."

"In any event, back when I first settled in Neverwinter, my humble abode was on the outskirts of Blacklake, bordering acres of untouched wilderness. Now with Neverwinter being rebuilt following all that plague nonsense, my property went from the periphery to being right on the main thoroughfare of the 'rich' part of Neverwinter. All the nobility wants to live in Blacklake, but there's no more room. So lately they've been trying various ways to convince me to sell my land."

"Are you sure these figures you see are nobles?"

"Of course. Who else would sneak around my home… well, present company excluded." He seemed to remember something just then, "Oh… that's right. You came here for a reason, yes?"

And so, Alea explained the situation. She told him all about where she was from and left out no details other than the fact that everyone in that room – aside from herself – was merely a video game character. She started from the beginning and told her entire story up to where they were. The others looked at her in shock when she mentioned the giant elbow-y arms. (She did, however, leave out the part where she had to kiss Sand in order to avoid being forced to massacre a bunch of drunk morons. She figured it was unimportant.)

"Great Tyr!" Aldanon exclaimed, "What a tale! The moment you arrived I knew I'd be interested in meeting you – wish I'd known that when I first greeted you, would have saved some time." He grinned cheerfully, "You've certainly come to the right place. A while ago I found another shard with properties similar to the ones you possess. I've done every possible test on the shard but learned little. However, I've never had another shard to compare it against. As for your transportation problem, I have a fair few tomes on magic portals and interdimensional theory. If you'd like some answers, I'll gladly run some test on the shards. I have just enough quicksilver to do it. I'll also need to run a few tests on you, as well as ask some questions. I have a feeling we can both learn quite a bit!" He seemed incredibly excited to have something so interesting literally walk up to his doorstep.

Alea wasn't sure she liked the sound of the semi-mad sage running 'tests' on her, but she'd come this far and wasn't going to back down now, "Alright. Lead the way."

"Excellent! If you would just come in here and stand right in this circle here… yes, perfect. Now, I want you to tell me everything you remember about what happened before and after you ended up here."

Alea had prepared for this, knowing he would need some explanation as to how she ended up here before he could give her any definitive answers. She explained everything, expertly skirting around the fact that this world – at least where she was from – didn't actually exist. It was a speech she'd practiced in her head, as well as with Sand, many times over in order to give Aldanon what he needed, and nothing more. He was practically entranced with her tale, stopping her periodically to ask questions.

As she spoke, he brought out several odd-looking items, potions, and reagents. She watched as he mixed several together and sputtered as he occasionally splashed something in her face without warning. Each time this happened, he'd go, "Hmmm… Yes, go on," and simply continue mixing and busying about doing whatever it was he was doing for his tests. There was one point where he nearly set her hair on fire, and she began to doubt that he was learning much, if anything, from these odd little tests.

When he was done testing her, he ushered her out of the room and went about testing the shards. She was less interested in what he'd say about these, as she'd heard that bit several times by now. She waited patiently, occasionally hearing some sort of strange sound from Aldanon's lab. She sat on the bench by the wall until he finally came out.

"My tests are complete. With another shard to use as a comparison… well, I learned quite a bit. Quite a lot, actually. It appears these shards contain latent magical energy caused by a strong enchantment from when they were whole… or from their method of destruction. Furthermore, the shards resonate when they are brought together, increasing the magical energy output accordingly. These shards are pieces of a broken githyanki silver sword. Are you familiar with the githyanki?"

"Far more than you could imagine, yes."

"Well, then you would know that the githyanki are a race of beings that dwell on the Astral plane, led by Vlaakith, the Lich Queen. Not a nice woman, I hear. Ages ago, the ancestors of the githyanki were human, and inhabited another plane of existence, where they were enslaved by the illithids, or mind flayers. I believe you may have been brought here from your own world in a similar fashion to how they occasionally travel here. Perhaps as a side effect of one of their blades shattering. Although that would have to happen several times in order for such a strong effect to reach all the way to your plane of existence. My guess would be about-"

Alea interrupted him, understanding showing on her face, "Thirteen times…" She spoke in barely a whisper, but her voice easily carried throughout the room.

Aldanon considered this for a moment, then nodded, "Yes, I suppose that would do it. It would take a force of incredible power to shatter a silver sword after all, let alone thirteen of them. In fact, I've never heard of one being broken before. It could be that the githyanki are as interested in how it was broken as they are in reclaiming the pieces."

Her mouth dropped open as she processed this information. If this was all happening because she played the game so many times it literally sucked her in, then what did that mean about her world, or the other worlds that she'd always thought were simply stories?

Aldanon, not noticing her shock, continued, "Then came Gith. Little is known about her outside the githyanki, but she led the rebellion to free her people of the illithids, and is considered the hero and founder of the githyanki people. The githyanki silver swords are forged with the special purpose of severing the silver cord that connects the form of an astrally projecting traveler to his or her material counterpart. They look like a regular githyanki weapon until used in combat, at which point they turn into a column of flowing, shimmering liquid, really quite amazing, I'm told. I believe the shards that you have found are pieces of one of these silver swords. I presume the githyanki have come to Faerün to recover the shards."

Alea half-listened as Aldanon prattled on, still trying to process this information. If the silver swords were real, and not just some in-game item, and she'd played what she thought was just an RPG so many times that they were somehow able to reach across whatever veil separated her world and this one, then what did that mean for her? Was she really herself? When she had supposedly come from her home to here and turned from Sophie to Alea, did she actually end up here, or was she only a shadow of the girl she thought she was.

Her mind spun in circles, trying to make sense of everything. She fought the urge to pass out as she underwent a true existential crisis. There were fictional stories in her world – or what she thought was her world – of people either intentionally or accidentally copying their own consciousness and that copy winding up somewhere else. After all she'd been though, could she really write them off as only stories? After all, she'd thought Neverwinter was fictional, and yet here she was, standing beside what she had always thought of as mere characters.

After a moment, she noticed everyone was staring at her, waiting for some sort of response. Working hard to keep her voice from squeaking, she aksed, "Is there anything else you can tell me?" Her eyes were pleading, but she already knew the answer.

"I wish I knew more. Ammon Jerro was the real expert. He actually possessed a silver sword."

"Where can I find him?" Again, she already knew the answer.

"Well, he's dead now, so I'm not sure finding him will help you much."

 _No, he's not_ , Alea thought to herself, but allowed Aldanon to continue. She needed to get out of there and find Shandra Jerro immediately. The sooner she got to Ammon Jerro, the sooner she could interrogate him about her plight. Once again, it looked like she was still being guided along the set plot line.

Aldanon kept talking, "When word of Ammon's death reached me, it was from a messenger, who had heard it in passing… the nobles who ruled Neverwinter at the time must have assumed I would simply know if another scholar passed away, for they had not mentioned it to me – it was almost an afterthought. I learned later that it was partly due to what Ammon's family wanted… and what had been requested by the deceased, to enter life quietly and to leave it the same way. It is sad in this age when the passing of a humble scholar and indistinct court wizard barely warrants a footnote in history. It makes me wonder… will anyone remember me when I am gone?"

Alea smiled comfortingly, "I have no doubt of that."

"That's kind of you to say, but unlike Ammon Jerro, I will not be survived by any family."

Alea knew what to ask, "Would Ammon Jerro's family have access to more of his research?"

The rest of the conversation went on much like it did in the game. Aldanon told Alea of Jerro's Haven and told her how to get into the archives. He gave her his shard and said goodbye.

Alea easily convinced the guard to take them to the archives, and just like that, she was off to find Shandra Jerro.


	10. Moonlight

So… the plot thickens…

What do you think Alea will discover about her own fate as time goes on? Let me know in the reviews.

* * *

Chapter 10: Moonlight

If Alea didn't know better, she would have almost considered the ambush at Ember to be a challenge. There were tons of githyanki, and even one or two managed to land a hit on her. Of course, those unfortunate souls did not last long, as she dispatched them first, purely out of spite. Her heart sank as she thought of what was to come of the tiny village, and she considered warning the villagers. She knew, though, that if she saved them, it would simply be a different village slaughtered instead, and even though she felt like a terrible person for not insisting they leave, she would rather the small population of Ember than that of a larger town. There weren't many villages smaller than this one. It was a horrible thought that made her wonder what kind of a person she was turning into.

After forcing Bishop – who she already loathed with every fiber of her being – to give Marcus his skinning knife, she took one last look at the still-living Ember, and moved on, guilt tugging at her heart. She knew that the next time she came here, the town will have already been completely snuffed out.

Going through the githyanki base quickly and efficiently, Alea finally rescued Shandra for the last time, happy to not have to chase her down any longer. She'd walked hundreds of miles for this little farmgirl, and as much as she liked Shandra, it was getting exhausting. Once the githyanki leader Zeearie was defeated, Alea added the newest silver shard to her collection, and – after far too long – finally headed back to Neverwinter.

Sand wasn't in his shop. So, instead of going to say hi, she went to the flagon and sat down, putting her feet up for the first time in what felt like a century. She sat back, sipping at a cold beer, quietly enjoying her friends' company, when Sir Nevalle of the Neverwinter Nine walked through the door. His expression was grave, and before he even spoke, Alea knew exactly why. Her face fell.

"There you are," he said, visibly upset.

"Hello," She greeted, "You are Sir Nevalle of the Neverwinter Nine, are you not? It's a pleasure to meet you. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I am here because Luskan has accused you of murder – an entire village, no less. Have you heard of Ember?"

"I traveled through it – I didn't slaughter it."

He nodded, still fuming, "I've scraped things from my boot that I respect more than Luskan. But unless we find some means of clearing you of these charges, we will have to surrender you to them." His fist clenched at his side, "We've signed a treaty with Luskan – they have the right to dispense low justice for any crimes committed on their soil. But I'm not turning over a loyal member of the Watch to some Luskan dog on this day or any other."

Alea pursed her lips in understanding, "Okay… So how do I prove my innocence?"

"Your guilt is preordained in Luskan court. If you were a lord, knight, or even a squire, however, then matters would be different. You would be subject to high justice, and your trial would take place here in Neverwinter before Lord Nasher."

"Very well," Alea said, taking a deep breath, "What must I do?"

"I need you to go see Sir Grayson, one of Lord Nasher's most trusted knights, and become his squire. I may also send a… friend of mine… to assist you. He has proven invaluable in such cases in the past. Mind you, the matter must still go to trial, and if you cannot prove your innocence, then you will face execution. For now, let us deal with what we can – see Sir Grayson at once at Captain Brelaina's office. Pledging yourself to Neverwinter's service will give us time to counter these Luskan lies. And until you answer for these charges, the gates of the city will be barred to you – seek out Grayson, but do not leave the city." With that, Sir Nevalle gave Alea a curt nod, and turned to leave. Alea watched him go, frowning. All those people were dead, just to get to her. It made her more furious than she ever thought she could be.

Duncan shouted above the din of whispers following Sir Nevalle's exit, "No way in the hells will I let those Luskans get their hands on you."

Shandra turned to her, "But there's still something we can do – right? Even Nevalle said as much, all you have to do is pledge yourself to one of the knights, and Luskan can't touch you."

"And we're innocent," Neeshka declared, "besides, I mean, the slaughter of an entire village? That's going too far, even by Luskan standards."

"Is it?" Bishop asked, more than a little condescending, "If you have something Luskan wants, they'd kill an entire city for it. They don't care. They attacked Neverwinter once, and even now, they're sending fleets to attack Ruathym. Give them an excuse, and you'll soon find Luskan blades at your gate."

Sal chimed in, "Uh… Duncan, looks like we have a guest."

Duncan sighed heavily, "…oh, as if the day couldn't get any worse. What do you want, Sand?"

Alea's mood immediately rose. She had nearly forgotten that this was the point when Sand became her official companion. Her face brightened of its own volition when she saw his face.

"I am here to help you – and your kin, actually," Sand explained simply.

Duncan didn't believe him, "Oh, _really_. And what's the price? If it's more than a half-copper, you can see yourself out."

"No, I… seem to have been given an ultimatum, in fact. I have heard of your… troubles with Luskan."

"Word travels fast," Sal mumbled.

Sand looked Alea in the eye, his gaze intense and unreadable, "Know that if you are sent to Luskan, you will be killed."

Alea just nodded, signaling him to go on.

"Allow me to act on your behalf. There are laws, and there is right and wrong. While I believe you are quick to take liberties with the law," he gave her a knowing look, "I do not believe you are guilty of this… and if they should get ahold of you, you will be killed. I believe people should answer for their crimes, but it must be just."

Alea gave him a gentle smile, "Thank you, Sand. So, what should we do?"

Qara, to both Sand and Alea's annoyance, spoke up, "Sure, after all, a hedge wizard can't make things any worse. Maybe all that digging through books might prove useful."

Sand gave her a dirty look, "If we need to burn down Luskan, then perhaps we shall seek you, Qara, but your ignorance will cause more damage here than you know. Luskan is not ruled by men, it is ruled by magic, by the masters of the towers. And if they have decided that you are to be delivered to them, then-"

"So?" she interrupted, "Let them try!"

Sand sneered, "Whatever spark of magic you think you have, you idiot _girl_ , they will bleed from you by demon, spell, and curse until even your father won't be able to save you. And I suspect that what they seek may have consequence beyond you, beyond me – for much of the Realms."

Alea cut in before they started throwing spells at each other, "Okay, so what's the plan?"

"Fortunately," Sand said, returning his gaze to Alea, "becoming a squire is enough for our needs. And I believe you have already been told about someone who can help you… Sir Grayson, yes? Let me join with you. I have considerable experience with these matters – and foiling Luskan plots is something I relish."

Alea grinned, "I was wondering when you'd finally join our little band of misfits."

"Hmmm… Indeed," Sand said, eyeing the others in the group. What he didn't say was how he was both excited and nervous to be spending so much more time with Alea. The fact that he'd get to stick it to Luskan, though, helped him get over any apprehensiveness, and he joined the crew eagerly, hoping to make those Luskan dogs look like the fools they were. He looked at his now-leader, "Alea, my dear, if I may speak to you privately, there are matters that I wish to discuss with you. Regarding this whole affair."

"Alright," she agreed, "Let's talk in your shop." She turned to her uncle and other companions, "Excuse us, guys, I'll be back in a bit. Please, relax, we'll sort this out."

"Relax?" Khelgar bellowed, "How in the hells are we supposed to relax, knowin' your head is on the line? I've half a mind to march up to those Luskans and crack their skulls in, just for suggestin' you'd do something so despicable."

"Yes, well if you happened to have the other half," Neeshka quipped, "You'd know that Alea is more than capable of handling herself. Just watch, this whole thing will be over before you can even blink."

Alea smiled to herself, shaking her head as she turned and walked out the door, amused at the pair's bickering. She kind of shipped them to be honest. They argued like an old married couple. Sand followed her out into the street and they walked quickly to his shop, locking the door behind them. Turning to her, Sand frowned, "When you said that I'd save you from being framed for mass murder, this was certainly not what I imagined. Still, this situation comes with its perks. I'll take any opportunity to inconvenience those foul Luskans."

"Sand," Alea interrupted, "There's something you ought to know."

He raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And what is that?"

Alea grimaced, not wanting to have to tell him this, "Well… The person accusing me of this slaughter, is none other than Torio Claven."

Sand stared at her, anger bubbling up within him at the mention of that banshee's name. He hated her with a passion. Darkly, he said, "Then I will be even more satisfied to have the opportunity to humiliate her in court."

"Alright. Then here's what we're going to need…" Alea listed the pieces of evidence that were available to prove her innocence. Sand listened intently, not wanting to miss a single detail. When she had finished, they agreed to set out immediately.

Gathering her group of misfits, Alea marched proudly through the streets of Neverwinter. Reaching Brelaina's office, Shandra gave Alea's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. The elf took a deep breath, then entered, to pledge herself officially into Neverwinter's service.

The conversation was not a long one. Before she knew it, Alea was being guided to Solace Glade.

They arrived at a foggy foothill, scattered with a few trees and little else. Sir Greyson told her to ponder and meditate in solitude. She did just that, until Shandra came up to her, followed soon after by a few arrogant assassins. They didn't last long, but Alea made sure to collect the odd ring one of them wore. She had her first piece of evidence.

When Sir Greyson returned, he stared at the bodies on the ground in confusion, "What happened?"

Alea decided to go with the truth and explained about the Luskan assassins. Sir Greyson was less than surprised. Moving on, he officially declared her his squire, and they immediately left to inform Lord Nasher.

Needless to say, Torio was not happy. Immediately, Lord Nasher gave Alea permission to leave the city in search of evidence to clear her name. She nearly groaned at the thought of having more traveling to do, but she supposed it couldn't be helped. There was a lot to do before the trial.

* * *

Alea sat on the limb of a tree, looking up at the shining moon above her. Sometimes it seemed to call to her, like it was watching over her. She figured it must be a moon-elf thing. Ever since coming here she'd felt a serene affinity to it.

The others had gone to sleep a few hours ago, with Alea agreeing to take first watch. She preferred to stay up late rather than being woken up in the middle of the night. The sound of light footsteps caught her attention, and she looked toward them to see Sand, out of his bedroll, looking up at her, "What in all of Faerün are you doing up there?"

She turned her gaze back to the sky, "Just thinking."

"Indeed? That happens to be one of my favorite pastimes. Mind if I join you?"

She smiled sleepily, "Be my guest."

Sand, to Alea's surprise, climbed gracefully up to her branch and sat down beside her, making hardly a single leaf rustle. They sat in silence, looking up at the waxing moon, taking comfort in each other's friendship. Alea laid her head on Sand's shoulder, making his heart skip a beat. She – as usual – didn't notice the affect she had on him.

It didn't take long for Alea to fall asleep. Unsure of what to do, he simply let her rest on his shoulder, not knowing if he should wake her, or… what? He studied her face. She nearly glowed in the dim moonlight. He didn't dare move until he got so tired that he was forced to try and nudge her awake.

She was in such a deep slumber though, that Sand was unable to wake her, so – very carefully – he got her down from the tree and placed her on her bedroll. When she was properly settled, he nudged Neeshka with his foot, informing her that it was her turn to keep watch. She grumbled, but got up willingly, allowing Sand to rest. He fell asleep sometime after that, with the sensation of Alea's head resting on his shoulder still fresh in his mind.

That night, Alea once again dreamt of the familiar figure standing in the center of the two warring seas.


	11. Trial by Combat

Hi there, I'm back. So, it's been a while. Perhaps I can placate your anger with a much-awaited chapter.

By the way, more reviews make for faster updates. -hint hint, wink wink-

* * *

Chapter 11: Trial by Combat

Duskwood creeped Alea out way more than she thought it would. The sensation of her magic being drained was disconcerting and being surrounded by dire beasts didn't help her comfort level one bit. As she moved along the path, she decided to take care of the vampire gnomes first, quickly dispatching them and collecting their assortment of bugs. She remembered the giant spider, Kestrel, who was starving to death in the goblin's cave. The bugs would be a perfect meal for her. Once that was taken care of, she took a deep breath and prepared herself to speak with the dryad Lyssa.

The conversation was relatively short. Thanks to her high bluff skill – owed to her cheating, which once again paid off greatly – she was able to pretend to be Lorne and recover the powder, thus procuring her latest evidence. Sand was very proud of her lying capabilities. Bishop was even a tad impressed, which made Alea cringe a bit. Anything Bishop approved of couldn't be a good thing.

When they got to Ember, poor Marcus was soaked, freezing, and terrified. Alea knew there was more on the surface than in the well, but she didn't want that poor kid to have to stay in that dank hole for one more second. She gave him a blanket that she had brought specifically for him, knowing he'd be damp and cold. It gave Marcus a bit of comfort. He seemed immensely relieved when he walked away towards safety. Alea didn't blame him.

Kestrel too, seemed overjoyed to have something to eat. Elanee smiled as Alea fed the starving creature, accepting its friendship. The other spiders just tried to kill them, so they were quickly dispatched, convincing the goblin leader Glek to give Alea a ring. Her list of evidence grew larger with every step.

Climbing back up the rope to Ember, Alea pretended to look for clues, even though she knew exactly what was there. She waited about fifteen minutes before pretending to stumble on the body that had been poisoned, as well as the quartermasters log. A quick mental list confirmed that she had collected all the evidence and was ready to prove her innocence.

* * *

Alea sat in the quiet temple, more afraid than she had been throughout her entire adventure. She remembered quite vividly that this was the point in the game that got difficult enough for her to be in any real danger. Before she could simply rely on her boosted stats, trusting them to keep her safe. Now, she wondered whether or not she would even make it out of this alive.

The trial had of course gone off without a hitch, Lord Nasher easily determining Alea's innocence. Everyone had been in an uproar when Torio challenged Alea to a trial by combat. Nevertheless, here she was.

Khelgar burst into the room loudly, interrupting Alea's train of thought, "Hold a moment – this Rite of Tyr can wait. I haven't had my say yet."

Alea smiled to herself as her friend completed another part of his vision quest, even if he did so loudly. When he offered to fight for her, she was admittedly tempted, but she knew that she was still the most powerful fighter in the group. Alea didn't want to take any chances in her friends getting hurt. They had become much more than fictional characters to her.

She sat for a while longer, fear still gripping at her heart, when she heard a familiar voice call to her from the other end of the room, "So, quiet enough for you? I mean, now that Khelgar is done ranting – I heard it from several streets away. Actually helped me find this place. I hope you don't mind if I come in here and just start speaking my mind – otherwise this place would seem awfully dull."

Alea perked up as the sight of Sand, standing there with an uncharacteristically gentle smile on his face. For a moment she nearly forgot the terror looming over her. "Sand! It's so good to see you. Please, some in," she gestured for him to have a seat next to her. He complied, leaning back on the wooden bench.

"I must say, I didn't expect that we would be able to force Torio's hand like this – trial by combat is a rather desperate maneuver, quite unlike her." He grinned, turning to look at her, "It's really rather quite pleasing. And if you were to beat Lorne… well, that would make me simply ecstatic. I could help, you know."

Alea smiled at him, her heart twisting at the sight of his satisfied grin. He really was handsome, even by elven standards. "I would appreciate that greatly, Sand, thank you."

He fished something out of his robes and held out a few small vials, "Here, take this. It's a few special concoctions I whipped up to help you tomorrow should Lorne decide to poison, cheat, or simply give you several gaping chest wounds. And, uh, no need for thanks – it would just be embarrassing." he suddenly seemed quite awkward and self-conscious. Alea wondered what was happening in his head.

Alea stared at the swirling potions, and gently reached out to take them. Her fingers tingled where they brushed against his. They lingered there for a moment, staring at one another, before Sand finally broke the silence, "Ahem, well, I'll just leave you to it then…" He started to get up, "But, there is one last thing. Our friend Torio… I think she's rather close to breaking. It's what happens when one is tied to an ill-conceived plan… as I once felt. And I think Torio is one who prefers to be on the winning side. Worth thinking about, especially if she is at our mercy later. Good night," Sand bowed his head slightly in a farewell, his eyes lingering on hers a tad longer than normal. Then, he turned on his heel and hurried out the door.

Alea's mind was racing a million miles an hour. What just happened? She had never seen Sand act so intense. Her thoughts continued to linger on the sarcastic elf when Casavir strode into the room, a look of determination on his face. As he spoke to Alea, she only half listened. Her mind was stuck on Sand. She politely refused his offer to fight for her and thanked him as he gave her a vial of some sort of blessed potion. It was a thoughtful gift. He was a thoughtful person. Casavir was always the type of character that Alea – when she had still been Sophie – dreamed of falling in love with. She had been crushing on him since her first time playing the game. He was the perfect fairy tale knight in shining armor.

But this wasn't a game anymore. Casavir wasn't just a character, and neither were any of her other companions.

That included Sand.

The rest of the night passed by in a blur as Alea reevaluated her thoughts on the elf. How had it taken this long for her to realize? She scoffed at her own stupidity at having not recognized her own feelings. She wished she had figured it out sooner. Come tomorrow, she might never get the opportunity to tell him how she felt, and that was no one's fault but her own.

She knew Sand wouldn't feel the same way. Alea was just an intriguing project to him, and she knew that. Once they found her a way home, she'd be gone, and he'd go back to his little shop in Neverwinter until the next interesting person comes along. Still, she felt like she owed it to herself to tell him. After everything they'd been through together at least all her cards would be on the table.

A new determination woke in her. She was going to win the fight and defeat Lorne. Otherwise she would never get a chance to tell Sand the truth that she was just now discovering.

She had to let him know she loved him.

* * *

Lorne was massive. Alea could see no resemblance to the quiet, unassuming Bevil. His angry scowl mixed with his dark tattoos and scary sword made for a truly terrifying visage. The fact that he couldn't be defeated when in a rage no matter how battered he got was even more frightening. Still, Alea had a plan. It had worked time and again, and it would work again. She had everything she needed, all that was left was to do it.

"Is the accuser or her champion here?" Lord Nasher's voice boomed throughout the arena, an air of unquestionable authority to it.

"We are here," Lorne's menacing voice responded.

Lord Nasher continued, "Is the accused or her champion here?"

Alea looked up to where the king sat, raising her enchanted blade high over her head, "I am here, and I am ready to fight for justice for the people of Ember!"

Her remark prompted a loud cheer from the crowd. An announced waited for them to quiet before he spoke in a formal tone, "What takes place in the field today shall resolve the crime of the razing of the village of Ember and the death of its people. Torio Claven, ambassador of Luskan, has accused one in the service of Neverwinter, and has called for a trial by combat to resolve the matter. Acting on her behalf is her champion, Lorne, who will fight in her stead. We call upon Tyr to help us settle this matter. Tyr's judgement shall come forth – through blade and strength, through balance… and resolve."

Alea and Lorne both walked to opposite ends of the field, an odd excitement washing over Alea's heart. This was it. This was where she truly proved her worth. Once the two opponents were in their places, they turned to face one another, and the battle officially began.

The first thing Alea did was cast several protective spells. This took enough time that Lorne was already halfway across the arena by the time she was finished. Next, she used her cheat item, the Instrument of Death, to summon a high-powered elemental. A massive rock monster appeared, towering over the two champions. Lorne was nearly upon her. He shouted a primal battle cry, his sword raised high over his head. Alea took a deep breath, then as fast as her d20 reflexes would allow, she gulped down one of the potions that Sand had gifted her the previous night.

Lorne stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the spot where his prey had been. She had vanished into thin air. Instead, standing only a few feet from where the blasted she-elf had been was a massive earth elemental. The creature swung its enormous arms, catching him in the stomach, nearly knocking him to the ground. It was a formidable foe, but he paid it no heed. He had to find his victim and destroy her. He would not fail.

Swinging his sword in the spot where Alea had once stood, Lorne found nothing but air. The damn bitch had run off. There was no way of knowing where she was now. All he had to work with was the gigantic stone creature, which was actively trying to kill him. If it weren't for his barbarian rage, he'd already by dead by now. The elemental hit hard.

Alea watched from the other side of the stadium, carefully counting down the minutes until the spell wore off and her elemental would disappear. Lorne was somehow still on his feet, despite having received several lethal blows. She watched as the brutish man searched for her, even as the earth elemental followed and attacked him. He seemed furious, frantically waving his spiked sword seemingly at random. As Lorne moved about the arena, so did Alea, keeping herself as far from him as she could.

Suddenly Lorne's eyes met hers. Alea hadn't noticed the potion wearing off. She cursed her own stupidity. She could either drink another invisibility potion, or summon a new elemental by the time Lorne got to her. Whatever she chose she had to do so quick or she was likely to lose her head. Quite literally, in fact.

Alea made her choice. Lorne was on his last legs as it was. She drank a new potion and disappeared from sight, dodging to the side just before Lorne reached her. He howled in frustration, "Stand still!" He swung his sword about wildly, trying to find her, but she was already halfway across the field by then.

She could help but smile to herself as she watched the cruel barbarian run wildly about in search of her. His rage couldn't last forever. All she had to do was wait until he tired himself out, then he would be ready to go down.

After what felt like hours, but was really only minutes, Alea could see Lorne begin to slow. The wounds he'd received from her earth elemental – who had long since dissipated – were taking their toll. That could only mean that his barbarian rage was wearing off. She had mere seconds before he went into another one, so she chose that moment to strike.

Creeping up behind him, her d20 stealth skill coming in handy, Alea drew her heavily-enchanted sword. She knew that in the game there was a chance to take him prisoner, but even if she did he'd still end up dead. This was the least painful way for him to go, and she'd be lying if she didn't admit she took some pleasure in striking the finishing blow herself. Once again, she was struck by this thought, wondering what kind of person she was becoming.

This didn't shake her resolve, however. Waiting until she could see that Lorne was fully out of his rage, Alea took her sword and swung it wide, slicing Lorne's head clean off. Arterial blood gushed out as the body fell limp to the ground, twitching slightly. Her potion wore off with this action, revealing her to the audience. She looked up and saw them staring in stunned silence. This was not Alea's first time to kill a man since coming to this place, and she knew it would most certainly not be the last, but this one felt different. She had won. She breathed heavily as her triumph washed over her like a blanket, smothering her in glory and pride. She had done it.

Raising her sword above her head Alea shouted at the top of her lungs, "For the people of Ember!"

The crowd rose up in a deafening roar of approval, shouts, whistles, and hecklers praising her name. Lord Nasher stood from his seat, Sir Nevalle by his side and Torio standing nervously behind them. His voice once again boomed above them all. Alea wondered if his volume was boosted by magic. It probably was.

"Justice has been served," Lord Nasher announced, "My judgement passed at the trial shall now take effect, as was intended. The Arcane Brootherhood of Luskan is to leave the city of Neverwinter within three days time, and they are not to be permitted within our walls again, by royal decree. The possessions of the champion of the Luskan ambassador, Lorne, are to become the property of the accused. And ambassador…" he snarled at Torio, "you now have much to answer for." Nasher turned his attention back to Alea, "To the accused – I believe you are in need of a well-deserved rest. Please return to the Sunken Flagon – that is a command from your Lord, soldier of Neverwinter.

Alea was herded away and into a carriage that had been waiting for the victor. She had wanted to go find Sand immediately after the battle, but her ushers not have it. She sat in the carriage, her exhaustion suddenly washing over her. It didn't take long for her to fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

Alea woke up in her room in the Sunken Flagon. Sitting up, she realized how incredibly refreshed she felt. It was as if all the stress from the past few months merely melted away. She took a deep breath, savoring the moment of peace for a bit before standing up. She looked down and found that she was still wearing her battle robes. They were grimy and stank of gore, so she quickly shed them and tossed them into a basket. That cute kid Wolf had started coming by regularly to get her clothes cleaned for her.

Alea decided to clean herself up. She had something to do and she wanted to look presentable for it. She would have used Sand's shower again, but that would defeat the purpose. After all, he was the one she needed to speak to. So, Alea settled on using the washbasin in her room, bathing as best she could in the splintery old bucket. Once she no longer smelled like blood and sweat, she got up and dried off, pulling her hair up into a semi-elaborate bun adorned with braids and a silver hair pin. She searched her closet and picked out a simple, but flattering white dress and a pair of matching shoes. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed that she looked as lovely as she felt.

Smiling, she opened her door and glided down the stairs. Her companions mulled about the Flagon drinking, snacking, or doing whatever suited their fancy. Khelgar was having an arm-wrestling match with some random patron. He was a beefy fellow, but Alea's money was still on the dwarf. Looking around, she didn't see Sand anywhere. This didn't deter her. He was likely the same place he always was.

As she walked toward the door, she was stopped by Wolf. He had a message from Aldanon saying that the sage wanted to speak with her about another silver shard. The thanked the boy but tucked the message away in her mind for later. Aldanon could wait. She rushed out the door and walked quickly across the street, determination in her steps. Not bothering to knock, Alea opened the door and walked in.

Sand stood by the bookshelf, a tome in his hands. He looked up from it to see Alea dressed quite beautifully. "Ah, if it isn't the champion of Ember herself. Congratulations. It was such a pleasure to see Torio finally brought down from her-" he was cut off as Alea strode toward him, pressing her lips to his.

Sand froze, stunned. Was he still dreaming? This wasn't actually happening was it? Was Alea Stormrun, the one person he'd ever felt genuine love for, actually kissing him? His heart raced, and his brain stopped. He prayed to whatever gods were listening that this wasn't a dream.

Coming out of his shock, Sand suddenly realized that Alea was pulling away. Her ears were blushing bright red and she looked horribly embarrassed. She kept her eyes down, "I'm sorry, I just… I needed you to know that I-"

This time it was his turn to cut her off as he reached for her, pulling her towards him with a passion and desperation that Alea had never seen in him before. Sand heard the door begin to open. It was probably a customer. He would have none of that. Waving his hand, he shut the door in the intruder's face, locking it to avoid any more interruptions.

Alea pulled him closer, deepening the kiss, and Sand happily complied, pushing her against the bookshelf that only moments ago he had been so engrossed in. As far as he was concerned it no longer existed. There was only Alea. Perfect Alea. Powerful Alea. _His_ Alea. He had been hers for months even if she hadn't known it. Now he knew that she was his too. They belonged to one another, no matter what some silly game plotline said.

Alea could feel her heartrate synchronizing with Sand's. Both were beating a million miles an hour, unable to keep up with the flood of emotions coursing through them. Never in her life at home had Alea felt anything like this. It was so intense, and yet so perfect that she never wanted it to end.

Alea took the lead this time, guiding Sand toward the stairs. To his dismay she broke away, only to grin at him gleefully and take his hand, guiding him up the stairs. She stopped at the door to the one part of Sand's house that she hadn't been in. Unable to bear being apart for another second, she once again pulled him towards her, locking their lips together with her back pressed to the bedroom door.

Sand fumbled for the doorknob. Alea was enough of a distraction that even the simple task of opening a door became difficult. Eventually, however, he managed to twist the knob and the door swung inward. He followed as Alea stepped back into the room, closing the door behind them.

Sand felt Alea's hands tugging on his robe. He happily assisted her in removing it, leaving him in a simple undershirt and pants. Those, however, didn't last long, and neither did Alea's dress. Moving over to the bed, they gave themselves to each other fully, not a moment of hesitation between them. Sand was Alea's first, and despite his hundreds of years of life, she was his. Moon elves after all were very selective in who they chose as mates, because once they had chosen there was no going back. And now that Sand had Alea, he would have no other for the rest of each of their long lives. He briefly wondered if Alea knew this bit of elven culture. She had once been human, after all, and they were known to have multiple partners throughout their lives.

The thought worried him, but it was soon snuffed out by Alea placing a gentle kiss on his shoulder, "I don't think I've ever been quite so happy," she cooed, nestling in closer to him.

He smiled at her, "Nor I, dear girl. Nor I."


End file.
